The word olive derives from Latin ŏlīva 'olive fruit; olive tree', possibly through Etruscan 𐌀𐌅𐌉𐌄𐌋𐌄 (eleiva) from the archaic See more

The six natural subspecies of Olea europaea are distributed over a wide range:
• O. e. subsp. europaea (Mediterranean Basin)
The subspecies europaea is divided into two See more

Mediterranean Basin
Fossil evidence indicates the olive tree had its origins 20–40 million years ago in the Oligocene, in what now corresponds to Italy and the eastern … See more

The olive tree, Olea europaea, has been cultivated for olive oil, fine wood, olive leaf, ornamental reasons, and the olive fruit. About 80% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while … See more

The olive tree, Olea europaea, is an evergreen tree or shrub native to Mediterranean Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is short and squat and rarely exceeds 8–15 m (25–50 ft) in height. 'Pisciottana', a unique variety comprising 40,000 trees found only in the … See more

Ancient Greece
Olives are thought to have been domesticated in the third millennium BC at the latest, at which … See more

• An olive tree in Mouriscas, Abrantes, Portugal, (Oliveira do Mouchão) is one of the oldest known olive trees still alive to this day, with an … See more