C++ classes and objects are the central feature that supports object-oriented programming in C++. A class defines a blueprint for a data type, and classes can inherit members from base classes, allowing code reuse. Polymorphism means a function call will cause different code to execute depending on the object type. Abstraction and encapsulation bind data and functions together and hide implementation details. C++ supports exception handling, dynamic memory allocation using new/delete, and file input/output streams.