Category: Europe

MEDITERRANEAN CULTIVATION ZONE
The Mediterranean cultivation is characterized by a variety of heat-loving crops, its focus is on fruit and vegetable cultivation and special crops. Traditionally, Mediterranean cultivation is defined by the distribution of the olive tree, which, as a subtropical plant, requires an average annual temperature of 15 ° C to 22 ° C and an annual rainfall of between 500 and 700 millimeters. Since the olive tree is very sensitive to frost, its cultivation limit is already in the south of France.

A second group of key plants form the citrus or citrus fruits, but the similarly high heat demands such as the olive tree pose, with their moisture requirements from 1,200 to 2,000 millimeters of annual precipitation in many places only irrigated cultivated can be. For vegetables, the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers have a special position. The most important rice-growing region in Europe, Northern Italy, is also located in this zone. One of the most important fruit plants on earth is the grapevine. It requires an annual mean temperature of only 10 ° C to 12 ° C – which is why it can be found far beyond the borders of this zone in Germany, Austria and France -, a vegetation period of 180 to 200 days and at least 19 ° C during maturity.

In Europe, cork oaks are mainly grown in Portugal and Spain, with further plantations in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.

The tobacco that existed in earlier centuries in Germany even greater extent, is still found throughout the Mediterranean region of Portugal to the Aegean. However, it is only of economic importance in Greece, Italy and Bulgaria. In an international comparison, soybeans and cotton are only grown in Europe in small quantities, although in Italy they have recently been growing; other larger soy producers are Russia and Ukraine. In Europe, cotton is of economic importance only in Greece; only small quantities are cultivated in Spain. Date palms are only grown south of the Mediterranean. Plant production in the entire Mediterranean region is supplemented by keeping sheep, but also cattle, pigs and goats. For more information about the continent of Europe, please check thesciencetutor.org.