Two of the gene centres, the Mediterranean and the Near East, meet in Turkey, which comprises the Irano-Turanian, Mediterranean and Euro-Siberian phytogeographical divisions. The country is situated on the crossroads of important migratory routes and has been home to several civilizations,...

Olives were first cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean region and expanded westwards during the next millennium. Olive cultivation spread from Crete to Syria, Palestine and Israel, to Cyprus, southern Turkey and Egypt. With the expansion of the Greek colonies, olive culture reached southern...

Tabulated data on the hectareage and number of olive trees worldwide; the global olive oil production; the olive oil production in the Mediterranean; and the EU production of olive oil are provided. There is a variety of table olives (whole, pitted, sliced, stuffed) and, as observed in the case of...