  The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is planned to be the next generation
ground based observatory for very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy.
Gamma-rays provide a powerful insight into the non-thermal universe and
hopefully a unique probe for new physics. Imaging Cherenkov telescopes have
already discovered more than 170 VHE gamma-ray emitters providing plentiful of
valuable data and clearly demonstrating the power of this technique. In spite
of the impressive results there are indications that the known sources
represent only the tip of the iceberg. A major step in sensitivity is needed to
increase the number of detected sources, observe short time-scale variability
and improve morphological studies of extended sources. An extended energy
coverage is advisable to observe far-away extragalactic objects and improve
spectral analysis. CTA aims to increase the sensitivity by an order of
magnitude compared to current facilities, to extend the accessible gamma-ray
energies from a few tens of GeV to a hundred of TeV, and to improve on other
parameters like angular and energy resolution. CTA will provide moreover a full
sky-coverage by featuring an array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes
in both hemispheres. This paper presents an overview of the technical design
and summarize the current status of the project. CTA prospects for some key
science topics like the origin of relativistic cosmic particles, the
acceleration mechanisms in extreme environments such as neutron stars and black
holes and searches for Dark Matter are discussed.
