Olive

Olive Temporal range: Late Pleistocene to recent, 0.06–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Oleaceae
Genus:	Olea
Species:	O. europaea
Binomial name
Olea europaea L.
Distribution map of Olea europaea s.l.

The olive, botanical name Olea europaea (meaning "European olive"), is a species of small, subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Originating in Asia Minor,^[2] it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies in Africa and western Asia; modern cultivars are traced primarily to the Near East, Aegean Sea, and Strait of Gibraltar.^[3] The olive is the type species for its genus, Olea, and lends its name to the Oleaceae plant family, which includes species such as lilac, jasmine, forsythia, and the true ash tree. The olive fruit is classed botanically as a drupe, similar to the cherry or peach. The term oil—now used to describe any viscous water-insoluble liquid, such as petroleum—was virtually synonymous with olive oil, the liquid fat made from olives.

The olive has deep historical, economic, and cultural significance in the Mediterranean;^[4][5] French author Georges Duhamel remarked that the "Mediterranean ends where the olive tree no longer grows".^[6] Among the oldest fruit trees to be domesticated by humans,^[7] the olive was first cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago, most likely in the Levant.^[3] It gradually disseminated throughout the Mediterranean via trade and migration starting in the 16th century BC;^[8] it took root in Crete around 3500 BC and reached Iberia by about 1050 BC. Olive cultivation has been credited for the growth and development of various Mediterranean civilizations, from the Minoans and Myceneans of the Bronze Age to the Greeks and Romans of classical antiquity.^[9]

The olive has long been prized throughout the Mediterranean for its myriad uses and properties. Aside from its edible fruit, the extracted oil was used for lamp fuel, personal grooming, cosmetics, soap, multi-purpose lubrication, and medicine; its wood was sometimes used for construction.^[10] Owing to its utility, resilience, and longevity—which can allegedly reach over 3,000 years—the olive also held symbolic and spiritual importance in various cultures; it was used in religious rituals, funerary processions, and public ceremonies, including the ancient Olympic games. Ancient Greeks regarded the olive tree as sacred and a symbol of peace, prosperity, and wisdom, associations that persist to this day.^[11] The olive remains a core ingredient in traditional Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines—particularly in the form of olive oil—and its groves are a defining feature both of Mediterranean landscapes and economic activity.

The olive is cultivated in all countries of the Mediterranean, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, and South Africa.^[12][13] Spain, Italy, and Greece lead the world in commercial olive production; other major producers are Turkey, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Algeria, and Portugal.^[10] There are thousands of cultivars of the olive tree, which may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both; some varieties are grown as ornamental sterile shrubs, known as Olea europaea 'Montra', dwarf olive, or little olive. About 80% of all harvested olives are processed into oil, while about 20% are used for consumption, generally referred to as "table olives".^[14] The olive has garnered increased scientific, medical, and popular attention in the 21st century for its purported health benefits, particularly with respect to its oil.^[15]