The olive has always played a key role in the development of commerce in the Mediterranean cultures. Today it is a crop of major economic importance in many countries throughout the world.

The olive tree is grown around the world. Olive trees originated from a dry, subtropical climate but are well-suited to extreme environmental conditions such as drought and high temperatures. Although the olive requires aerated soil, it can adapt itself to a wide range of different soil types and temperatures. The map above shows the climatic range of where the olive tree is grown.

• Over 1 billion olive trees grow on 6 of 7 continents in 20 countries around the world.
• AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia
• MIDDLE EAST: Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey
• ASIA: China
• AUSTRALIA
• EUROPE: Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, France, and Yugoslavia
• NORTH AMERICA: United States (California, Arizona, Georgia and Texas), and Mexico
• SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Peru, and Chile
• Over 15 million acres of olives are planted worldwide. Ninety percent of those border the Mediterranean.
• The annual olive harvest is nearly 10 million tons.  Over 1 million tons are processed as table olives, and the balance is pressed for olive oil.

• California produces nearly all the olives in the United States; over 26,000 acres.
• Manzanilla olives represent over 70% of the olives grown here. Other varieties are Sevillano, Mission, Ascolano, and Barouni. Most olives become California black ripe olives.
• Georgia  Olive groves in 2019 grows mostly three varietals: arbequina, koroneiki, and arbosana with a quickly growing acreage market.

Italy

•  Together with Spain and Greece, Italy is one of the leading EU olive oil producers. Italy uses approximately 1.1 million hectares of cultivated land for growing olives that are later turned into olive oil. In the past years, Olive trees are grown across the whole Italian peninsula.  The most important olive growing areas are in the Apulia region, which accounts for 45% of the total olive growing area; Calabria (19%); Sicily (10%); Campania (7%), Lazio (5%), Tuscany and Sardinia (3% respectively), Basilicata and Umbria (2% respectively); with the rest of the surface area found in Molise, Liguria.

• Spain is the world's largest exporter of table olives. The majority of its exports are the Spanish-style pimento-stuffed green olives.
• The varieties grown in Spain are Manzanilla, Hojiblanca, and Gordal. Manzanillas produce the best-tasting table olive, while Hojiblancas are used primarily for olive oil production and make marginal quality table olives. Gordals are known as Queen olives.

• Greece grows more than 1,500,000 acres of olives.
• Greek olives include Konservolia, Halkidiki, and Kalamata. Kalamata olives are allowed to ripen on the tree until their skin turns purple-black.

• The olive is the predominant fruit tree in Morocco.
• Morocco grows Picholine Marocaine and Zitoun olives, and they are used in both table olives and olive oil.