Polymorphism in Java allows objects to be accessed through references of their parent class, enhancing flexibility by enabling dynamic method invocation. It supports method overriding, allowing subclasses to offer specific implementations while a single interface can be used to interact with different types of objects. This leads to more maintainable code, as changes in class implementations do not affect the code that leverages polymorphic calls .

'final' is a keyword used to declare constants, prevent method overriding, and inheritance. 'finally' is a block of code that is always executed after a try-catch block, used for cleanup activities. 'finalize' is a method called by the garbage collector before an object is destroyed to allow it to clean up resources. Thus, 'final' pertains to classes, methods, and variables; 'finally' to exception handling; and 'finalize' to resource management before garbage collection .

Java does not use pointers, which are prevalent in C++ and can lead to platform-specific issues. Java supports garbage collection, managing memory automatically without relying on platform-specific memory management implementations. Additionally, Java code is compiled into bytecode which is executed by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), providing a layer of abstraction that allows it to run on any platform where the JVM is implemented .

The 'this' keyword in Java is used to refer to the current object within an instance method or constructor. It helps resolve ambiguities between instance variables and parameters or other local variables that share the same names. It is essential for following the object-oriented principle of encapsulation by providing a way for methods to interact cleanly with the instance variables of their objects .

Java ensures data encapsulation by allowing fields to be private and providing public getter and setter methods to access and update these fields. This prevents unauthorized access and modification of the object's internal state from outside, thus protecting the integrity of the data. Encapsulation promotes modularity and maintainability by ensuring that objects control how their data is accessed and changed .

Java interfaces support multiple inheritance by allowing a class to implement multiple interfaces, thus inheriting the abstract methods of all those interfaces. This is in contrast to class inheritance where a class can only inherit directly from one superclass. Interfaces circumvent the diamond problem present in multiple class inheritance by providing a contract that must be fulfilled by the implementing class, without inheriting any method implementations from the interfaces themselves .

Java's garbage collection automatically manages memory by tracking object usage and reclaiming memory from objects that are no longer in use, unlike manual memory management which requires the programmer to explicitly allocate and deallocate memory. This reduces the likelihood of memory leaks and dangling pointers, enhances application reliability, and simplifies coding by relieving developers from low-level memory management tasks .

The 'super' keyword in Java is used to access methods and fields of a superclass from a subclass. It is often used to call the parent's constructor from within the child constructor to ensure proper initialization of the part inherited from the superclass. This aids in maintaining superclass features while extending them, adhering to the principles of inheritance, which is crucial for creating hierarchies while reducing code duplication .

Strings in Java are immutable to ensure consistent hashcodes for stored values, which facilitates safe storage and retrieval in data structures like HashMaps. Immutability aids in performance as String literals are pooled to conserve memory. It enhances security as immutable objects cannot be altered once created, preventing malicious or accidental change of data when shared across threads or methods .

The 'synchronized' keyword in Java is necessary when multiple threads need to access a shared resource that could lead to concurrency issues like data corruption or inconsistent results. It is used to enforce mutual exclusion, ensuring that only one thread accesses the critical section of code at a time, thereby protecting the integrity of shared data. This is especially necessary in situations involving read and write operations to shared objects .