Newly planted olive groves, Zaghouan, Tunisia

© Yann Arthus-Bertrand/Getty Images

Newly planted olive groves, Zaghouan, Tunisia

It may be an aerial view, but you certainly can’t look down upon this valuable Tunisian crop—the olive. Olive trees have grown in the Mediterranean region since ancient times, and some centuries-old groves still produce fruit. The olives are harvested in fall and winter, most often by shaking the tree boughs. Most olives are destined to become olive oil, which has a wide range of uses, from skin care to cooking to religious ceremonies. While Spain is the world’s top producer of the ‘liquid gold,’ Tunisia produces nearly as much.