A review of the chemical abundances and kinematics of the Galactic bulge

This review will attempt to draw a state of the art observational picture of the Galactic bulge. The main chemical, kinematic and evolutionary properties of the gas and stellar populations in the barred bulge and towards the Galactic center region will be discussed in the context of the possible formation scenarios. Future perspectives for our comprehension of the complex structure of the Galactic bulge from ongoing and foreseen optical and infrared surveys will be also highlighted.