  Like the majority of spiral galaxies, the Milky Way contains a central
non-axisymmetric bar component. Our position in the Galactic plane renders it
rather hard to see, but also allows us to make measurements of the bar that are
completely unobtainable for any other system. This paper reviews the evidence
for a bar that can be gleaned from the many extensive surveys of both gas and
stars in the Milky Way. We introduce some simplified models to show how the
basic properties of the bar can be inferred in a reasonably robust manner
despite our unfavorable location, and how the complex geometry can be used to
our advantage to obtain a unique three-dimensional view of the bar. The
emerging picture of the Galactic bar is also placed in the broader context of
current attempts to understand how such structures form and evolve in spiral
galaxies.
