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85-450: The artificial lake ( lake Qaraoun ) is situated close to Qaraoun , on the stretch before Nabatiya . The Litany dam is also equipped with two taps to empty the lake. The experts who administered the study of the Litani project all agreed that the location selected by the engineer, Ibrahim Abdul Aal, and the geologist, Dubertret, for the construction of the dam between Qaraoon and Suhmur,

170-580: A 61 m-high (200 ft) concrete-faced rockfill dam (the largest dam in Lebanon) in the middle reaches of the Litani River (longest river in Lebanon). The reservoir has been used for hydropower generation (190 MW or 250,000 hp), domestic water supply, and for irrigation of 27,500 ha (68,000 acres). The annual surface water flow in the Litani River received at Lake Qaraoun

255-621: A channel of the Markaba power station for the Kassmieh Irrigation Project. The Ibrahim Abdel Al hydroelectric power plant is located in Markaba in the Beqaa Governorate 11 km (6.8 mi) away from the lake and 660 m (2,170 ft) above sea level, it was established in 1962. It is the first of three hydro power stations that generate energy from the water of Lake Qaroun. The total power supply of

340-513: A city wall, will be long in falling to decay if tied in this manner. Olives were one of the main elements in ancient Israelite cuisine . Olive oil was used for not only food and cooking, but also lighting, sacrificial offerings, ointment , and anointment for priestly or royal office. The olive tree is one of the first plants mentioned in the Hebrew Bible , and one of the most significant. An olive branch (or leaf, depending on translation)

425-412: A concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD) of 61 m (200 ft) height built with crest level at elevation 801 m (2,628 ft), with a dam length of 1,090 m (3,576 ft), over karstic limestone formations. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 220 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) at a maximum pond elevation of 858 m (2,815 ft). The High Flood Level (HFL) in

510-478: A few days with lye, to a few months with brine or salt packing. With the exception of California style and salt-cured olives, all methods of curing involve a major fermentation involving bacteria and yeast that is of equal importance to the final table olive product. Traditional cures, using the natural microflora on the fruit to induce fermentation, lead to two important outcomes: the leaching out and breakdown of oleuropein and other unpalatable phenolic compounds, and

595-697: A highly successful commercial venture from the 1860s onward. In Japan, the first successful planting of olive trees happened in 1908 on Shodo Island , which became the cradle of olive cultivation in Japan. In 2016, olive oil production started in India , with olive saplings planted in Rajasthan's Thar Desert . Favoured by climate warming, several small-scale olive production farms have also been established at fairly high latitudes in Europe and North America since

680-568: A piece of the trunk, the root, a twig, or a stake. According to Pliny the Elder a vine, a fig tree and an olive tree grew in the middle of the Roman Forum ; the olive was planted to provide shade. (The garden was recreated in the 20th century). The Roman poet Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives , and smooth mallows provide sustenance." Lord Monboddo comments on

765-444: A rock to hasten the fermentation process. The olives are stored for a period of up to a year in a container with salt water, lemon juice, lemon peels, laurel and olive leaves, and rosemary. Some recipes may contain white vinegar or olive oil. Most commonly applied to green olive preparation, around 60% of all the world's table olives are produced with this method. Olives are soaked in lye (dilute NaOH, 2–4%) for 8–10 hours to hydrolyse

850-504: A single primary cultivar and a secondary cultivar selected for its ability to fertilize the primary one. In recent times, efforts have been directed at producing hybrid cultivars with qualities useful to farmers, such as resistance to disease, quick growth, and larger or more consistent crops. Fossil evidence indicates that the olive tree had its origins 20–40 million years ago in the Oligocene , in what now corresponds to Italy and

935-422: A very close succession of ties made of charred olive wood, binding the two faces of the wall together like pins, to give it lasting endurance. For that is a material which neither decay, nor the weather, nor time can harm, but even though buried in the earth or set in the water it keeps sound and useful forever. And so not only city walls but substructures in general and all walls that require a thickness like that of

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1020-409: Is 420 × 10 ^  m (15 × 10 ^  cu ft). This flow is used for generating hydroelectric power of 600 GWh at three hydroelectric power stations at Markaba, Awali and Jun with the total installed capacity of 190 MW (250,000 hp). During the dry season, 30 × 10 ^  m (1.1 × 10 ^  cu ft) of water is diverted from Markaba power station to meet the needs of

1105-697: Is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae , found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin , with wild subspecies found further afield in Africa and western Asia . When in shrub form, it is known as Olea europaea ' Montra ' , dwarf olive , or little olive . The species is cultivated in all the countries of the Mediterranean , as well as in Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and South Africa. It

1190-578: Is a primary benefit, which meets about 7%–10% of the power requirements in Lebanon. However, the stored waters also provide irrigation benefits with flows of 140 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft), as 110 million cubic metres is used in South Lebanon and 30 million cubic metres in Beqaa, while 20 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) is used for domestic water supply in

1275-744: Is also the most recommended and best possible oil for the lighting of the Shabbat candles . Due to its importance in the Hebrew Bible, the olive has significant national meaning in modern Israeli culture. Two olive branches appear as part of Israel's emblem and the olive tree is Israel's national tree. [1] Apart from being mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament ), olives play an important role in Christianity. The Mount of Olives , east of Jerusalem ,

1360-566: Is at its lowest in the lake, a steppe-like land slope has been noticed with low vegetation of rocky shingle terrain where flocks of larks and lapwings are seen. The bird life in the reservoir area is very notable, as 20,000 migratory birds of species of raptors , storks , pelicans and others species of birds have been sighted. The ferruginous duck ( Aythya nyroca ), pallid harrier ( Circus macrourus ), greater spotted eagle ( Aquila clanga ), eastern imperial eagle ( Aquila heliaca ) and sociable lapwing ( Vanellus gregarius ) are some of

1445-520: Is highest in Greece, followed by Italy and Spain. The composition of olive oil varies with the cultivar, elevation, time of harvest and extraction process. It consists mainly of oleic acid (up to 83%), with smaller amounts of other fatty acids including linoleic acid (up to 21%) and palmitic acid (up to 20%). Extra virgin olive oil is required to have no more than 0.8% free acidity and fruity flavor characteristics. Table olives are classified by

1530-532: Is low. In this mode of generation, the pumping will require 560 MW (750,000 hp), that would result in a generation of 388 MW (520,000 hp) of power. The archaeological site of Ain Jaouze overlooks Lake Qaraoun at the foot of Jebel Baruk on the west of the road from Chtaura to Jezzine . Jesuit archaeologist , Auguste Bergy collected flints from the surface of this site, suggested to be similar to those of later neolithic Byblos . On

1615-808: Is mentioned several times in the New Testament . The Allegory of the Olive Tree in St Paul's Epistle to the Romans refers to the scattering and gathering of Israel. It compares the Israelites to a tame olive tree and the Gentiles to a wild olive branch. The olive tree itself, as well as olive oil and olives, play an important role in the Bible. The olive tree and olive oil are mentioned seven times in

1700-412: Is more subdued than other methods. The brine is changed on a regular basis to help remove the phenolic compounds, and a series of progressively stronger concentrations of salt are added until the product is fully stabilized and ready to be eaten. Applied to green, semi-ripe, or ripe olives, these are soaked in water or weak brine and this solution is changed on a daily basis for 10–14 days. The oleuropein

1785-399: Is noted by the high recorded values of BOD 5 (79 mg/L) and nitrates (1.7 mg/L) in the Litani River. The vegetation in the periphery of the lake consists of woodland, orchards, and low-growing scrub. During water-level variations in the lake, as the stored water is utilised for various beneficial uses, no submerged or emergent vegetation have been noticed. When the water level

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1870-497: Is one of the 40 major streams in Lebanon and is the longest from the source to the Mediterranean Sea . The land on the periphery of the reservoir consists of agricultural lands on the eastern side where arable crops and olive orchards are seen. Grazing of sheep and goats is also noted. On the steep sloping western periphery of the lake there are fruit orchards and pasture land for grazing. The geological formation at

1955-537: Is produced by the yeast fermentation, lactic, acetic, or citric acid is often added to the fermentation stage to stabilize the process. Applied to green, semi-ripe, or ripe olives, they are soaked in lye typically for longer periods than Spanish style (e.g. 10–72 hours) until the solution has penetrated three-quarters of the way into the fruit. They are then washed and immediately brined and acid corrected with citric acid to achieve microbial stability. Fermentation still occurs carried out by acidogenic yeast and bacteria but

2040-666: Is table olives which can be stored without refrigeration. Fermentations dominated by lactic acid bacteria are, therefore, the most suitable method of curing olives. Yeast-dominated fermentations produce a different suite of metabolites which provide poorer preservation, so they are corrected with an acid such as citric acid in the final processing stage to provide microbial stability. The many types of preparations for table olives depend on local tastes and traditions. The most important commercial examples are listed below. Applied to green, semiripe, or ripe olives. Olives are soaked in salt water for 24–48 hours. Then they are slightly crushed with

2125-643: Is the type species for its genus, Olea . The tree and its fruit give their name to the Oleaceae plant family, which also includes species such as lilac , jasmine , forsythia , and the true ash tree . The olive's fruit, also called an "olive", is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil ; it is one of the core ingredients in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines . Thousands of cultivars of

2210-481: Is the longest river in Lebanon at the southern end of the Beqaa valley. The Litani River, which lies entirely within the territory of Lebanon rises near the historic city of Baalbek (now the site hardly discernible due to high rate of water extraction in this reach for pumping and ancient city development) and flows through for 170 km (110 mi) before it outlets into the Mediterranean Sea. It

2295-435: Is typically gnarled and twisted. The small, white, feathery flowers , with ten-cleft calyx and corolla , two stamens , and bifid stigma , are borne generally on the previous year's wood, in racemes springing from the axils of the leaves. The fruit is a small drupe 1–2.5 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8 –1 in) long when ripe, thinner-fleshed and smaller in wild plants than in orchard cultivars. Olives are harvested in

2380-516: The Acropolis ; it was still to be seen there in the second century AD; and when Pausanias was shown it c. 170 AD, he reported "Legend also says that when the Persians fired Athens the olive was burnt down, but on the very day it was burnt it grew again to the height of two cubits ." Indeed, olive suckers sprout readily from the stump, and the great age of some existing olive trees shows that it

2465-689: The International Olive Council (IOC) into three groups according to the degree of ripeness achieved before harvesting: Raw or fresh olives are naturally very bitter; to make them palatable, olives must be cured and fermented , thereby removing oleuropein , a bitter phenolic compound that can reach levels of 14% of dry matter in young olives. In addition to oleuropein, other phenolic compounds render freshly picked olives unpalatable and must also be removed or lowered in quantity through curing and fermentation. Generally speaking, phenolics reach their peak in young fruit and are converted as

2550-725: The Linear B syllabic script. 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 area around Pisciotta in the Campania region of southern Italy , often exceeds this, with correspondingly large trunk diameters. The silvery green leaves are oblong, measuring 4–10 cm ( 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 –4 in) long and 1–3 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8 – 1 + 3 ⁄ 16  in) wide. The trunk

2635-505: The Quran , and the olive is praised as a precious fruit. Olive tree and olive oil health benefits have been propounded in prophetic medicine. Muhammad is reported to have said: "Take oil of olive and massage with it – it is a blessed tree" ( Sunan al-Darimi , 69:103). Olives are substitutes for dates (if not available) during Ramadan fasting, and olive tree leaves are used as incense in some Muslim Mediterranean countries. In Palestine

Litani River Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue

2720-461: The vine , but he makes clear (in 1.16.10) that the cultivated olive must be vegetatively propagated; indeed, the pits give rise to thorny, wild-type olives, spread far and wide by birds. Theophrastus reports how the bearing olive can be grafted on the wild olive, for which the Greeks had a separate name, kotinos . In his Enquiry into Plants (2.1.2–4) he states that the olive can be propagated from

2805-465: The "Qaraoun Lake-Marj et Taouil: Project". The plan is to utilise the water stored in this reservoir to be pumped to an upper reservoir, with a 50.6 m-high (166 ft) dam at maximum water level of 1,679 m (5,509 ft) to store water pumped from the Qaraoun Lake or reservoir) to maximize power generation during the daily lean period (off-peak hours) of power generation when load demand

2890-541: The 1950s at the time of building the dam and the Qaraoun reservoir envisaged utilization of 800 m (2,600 ft) head available between the dam and the Mediterranean Sea through the three power stations. The river outlet at the end of the cascade of power plants is now 30 km (19 mi) to the north of its original outlet. It is also utilised for providing irrigation benefits by diverting 30 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) per year of water from

2975-561: The Abdel Al plant through a 17 km (11 mi) tunnel where its joined by water from different springs and streams such as Ain el Zarqa and Nahr el Cheta. The tunnel crosses Jabal Niha-Jezzine into the Anane basin located above the plant at 630 m (2,070 ft) above sea level. The Charles Helou hydroelectric power plant became operational in 1968 and located in Joun on the bank of

3060-526: The Awali river 32 m (105 ft) above sea level. The plant uses the water dropping from a 194 m (636 ft) altitude from the Awali basin located at the lower end of the Paul Arcache plant. The basin takes water discharged from the Paul Arcache plant and from Bisri river. As result of this development the hydrological regime of the Litani River has been divided into two zones. The basin above

3145-564: The Beqaa Valley, with a total of almost 40,000 hectares of irrigation. 33°32′54″N 35°41′22″E  /  33.5483°N 35.6894°E  / 33.5483; 35.6894 Lake Qaraoun Lake Qaraoun ( Arabic : بحيرة القرعون / ALA-LC : Buḥayrat al-Qara‘ūn ) is an artificial lake or reservoir located in the southern region of the Beqaa Valley , Lebanon . It was created near Qaraoun village in 1959 by building

3230-641: The Ibrahim Abdel Al station is 36 MW generated by two power generation units. The Paul Arcache hydroelectric power plant is the biggest hydroelectric plant in Lebanon, with an overall power supply of 108 MW. It is located in Al-Awwali near the Awali river 228.5 m (750 ft) above sea level. It was established in 1965. The plant also draws water from the Qaroun lake after it comes out of

3315-545: The Kassmieh irrigation project. The lake is a habitat for some 20,000 migratory birds which visit it annually. The upper Litani River, where the artificial lake or reservoir has been created with the dam at elevation of about 800 m (2,620 ft), is in the inland region of the Beqaa Valley , whose elevation range generally lies between 650–1,600 m (2,130–5,250 ft), with mountain peaks raising as high as 3,090 m (10,140 ft). The Litani River drains

3400-507: The Litani River and Lake Qaroun's catchment. It has been noted that seven sewer networks drain directly into the river. Untreated sewage from the towns of Baalbek, Houch el Rafqa, Qaa er Rim, Zahle, Chtoura, Qabb Elias, Bar Elias, Joub Jannine and Qaraoun flow into the Litani River or its tributaries, apart from industrial effluents many factories related to manufacture of sugar, paper, lead, limestone crushers, agro-industries and also from poultry farms, tanneries and slaughterhouses. The pollution

3485-447: The Litani River in its eastern and southern part, with the river debouching into the sea at the southwestern end. The basin has a total catchment area of 2,120 km (820 sq mi), which forms 20% area of the country, with about 1,600 km (600 sq mi) intercepted at Lake Qaraoun by El Qaroun Dam for providing various benefits. The artificial lake is created across the Litani River in its middle reaches. Litani River

Litani River Dam - Misplaced Pages Continue

3570-622: The Southern Lebanon. Controlled reservoir operation also provides flood-control benefits and prevention of water logging in an area of about 1,500 ha (3,700 acres). During 1999–2000, the water quality of the reservoir has been investigated from 16 sampling points on the river and its tributaries, by the Ministry of Environment and the Litani River Authority as a part of an exercise to evolve management plan for

3655-498: The Spanish type fermentation process, but the lye treatment process is skipped and the olives are placed directly in fermentation vessels full of brine (8–12% NaCl). The brine is changed on a regular basis to help remove the phenolic compounds. As the caustic treatment is avoided, lactic acid bacteria are only present in similar numbers to yeast and appear to be outdone by the abundant yeasts found on untreated olives. As very little acid

3740-468: The United Nations adopted in 1946 is a world map with two olive branches. 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 about 20% are used as table olives. The olive is one of the "trinity" or "triad" of basic ingredients in Mediterranean cuisine ,

3825-549: The archaic Proto-Greek form *ἐλαίϝα (* elaíwa ) ( Classic Greek ἐλαία elaía 'olive fruit; olive tree'. The word oil originally meant 'olive oil', from ŏlĕum , ἔλαιον ( élaion 'olive oil'). The word for 'oil' in multiple other languages also ultimately derives from the name of this tree and its fruit. The oldest attested forms of the Greek words are Mycenaean 𐀁𐀨𐀷 , e-ra-wa , and 𐀁𐀨𐀺 , e-ra-wo or 𐀁𐁉𐀺 , e-rai-wo , written in

3910-423: The balance of 500 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) per year of surface water, 80 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) per year is used for various uses by pumping before the flow reaches the dam. Thus, the flow of 420 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) is available at the reservoir, in an average year (35-year average flows from 1920s). However, in drought years,

3995-415: The birds which are of conservation concern, according to the 2008 IUCN Red List . The Qaraoun Dam, built in the middle reaches of the Litani River, has created an artificial lake at ( 33°34′21″N 35°41′51″E  /  33.57250°N 35.69750°E  / 33.57250; 35.69750 ) with water-spread area of 1,190 ha (2,940 acres). It is situated about 70 km (43 mi) downstream of

4080-423: The bottom to 30 cm (1.0 ft) at the top. The spillway of the dam is designed for an inflow flood discharge of 450 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft). The reservoir has a storage capacity of 220 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) at maximum pond elevation of 858 m (2,815 ft). The lake water is proposed to be integrated with a pumped-storage scheme planned under

4165-401: The catchment area of about 1,600 km (618 sq mi) at the reservoir carted at the dam. According to water balance studies carried out for the Litani River, the total inflow of the river at the reservoir location has been assessed as 1,280 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) per year, of which 60% is accounted towards aquifer recharge and evapotranspiration . Of

4250-468: The community that do not possess land. This is practised through the tradition of leaving fruit on a tree during the harvest so that those who do not have land and are unable to take part in the harvest can still reap the benefits. The Great Seal of the United States first used in 1782 depicts an eagle clutching an olive branch in one of its talons, indicating the power of peace. The Flag of

4335-403: The dam axis and the reservoir consists of limestone , chalky marl , and alluvial deposits with semi karstic and karstic limestones both upstream of the reservoir area and along the dam axis. Marl in the reservoir area has low permeability. The climate in the catchment of the reservoir is of continental type with 90% of rainfall occurring between November and April, with January experiencing

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4420-565: The early 21st century. There were an estimated 865 million olive trees in the world as of 2005, and the vast majority of these were found in Mediterranean countries, with traditionally marginal areas accounting for no more than 25% of olive-planted area and 10% of oil production. Olives are thought to have been domesticated in the third millennium BC at the latest, at which point they, along with grain and grapes, became part of Colin Renfrew 's Mediterranean triad of staple crops that fueled

4505-667: The eastern Mediterranean Basin. Around 100,000 years ago, olives were used by humans in Africa, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, for fuel and most probably for consumption. Wild olive trees, or oleasters, have been collected in the Eastern Mediterranean since ~19,000 BP. The genome of cultivated olives reflects their origin from oleaster populations in the Eastern Mediterranean. The olive plant

4590-645: The emergence of more complex societies. Olives, and especially (perfumed) olive oil, became a major export product during the Minoan and Mycenaean periods. Dutch archaeologist Jorrit Kelder proposed that the Mycenaeans sent shipments of olive oil, probably alongside live olive branches, to the court of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten as a diplomatic gift. In Egypt, these imported olive branches may have acquired ritual meanings, as they are depicted as offerings on

4675-580: The flow could reach a low of 320 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft), as recorded in 1972–73). Based on precipitation data, the total annual flow could be as high as 320 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft). The average annual flow received at the reservoir is utilised through the dam created at the site and diverting it through a series of tunnels and ponds to generate 600 GWh of energy at three hydroelectric power stations (190 MW or 250,000 hp total installed capacity) located at Markaba , Awali and Jun. The planning done in

4760-402: The fruit matures. Once ripening occurs, the levels of phenolics sharply decline through their conversion to other organic products, which render some cultivars edible immediately. One example of an edible olive native to the island of Thasos is the throubes black olive, which becomes edible when allowed to ripen in the sun, shrivel, and fall from the tree. The curing process may take from

4845-424: The generation of favourable metabolites from bacteria and yeast, such as organic acids, probiotics, glycerol, and esters, which affect the sensory properties of the final table olives. Mixed bacterial/yeast olive fermentations may have probiotic qualities. Lactic acid is the most important metabolite, as it lowers the pH, acting as a natural preservative against the growth of unwanted pathogenic species. The result

4930-568: The green to purple stage. O. europaea contains a pyrena commonly referred to in American English as a "pit", and in British English as a "stone". The six natural subspecies of Olea europaea are distributed over a wide range: The subspecies europaea is divided into two varieties , the europaea , which was formerly named Olea sativa , with the seedlings called "olivasters", and silvestris , which corresponds to

5015-400: The historic city of Baalbek . The dam had been under planning since 1964. The Qaraoun village transferred a land area of 760 ha (1,878 acres) for building the dam. The dam, which created the artificial lake or reservoir, is the largest dam built in Lebanon for multipurpose uses of hydropower generation (190 MW), irrigation of 28,500 ha (70,425 acres), and drinking-water supply. It is

5100-626: The lake is known as the Upper Litani Basin (ULB), and that below the lake is called Litani's lower reaches. The Qaraoun reservoir or lake created by Qaroun Dam on the Litani River has a water spread area of 11.9 km (5 sq mi). It is the largest artificial lake in Lebanon, located in the southern part of the fertile Beqaa Valley, with a total capacity of about 220 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft) and effective storage (live storage) of 160 × 10 ^  m (0 × 10 ^  cu ft). The power generation

5185-758: The leaves. The same insect is commonly found today on olive leaves, showing that the plant-animal co-evolutionary relations have not changed since that time. Other leaves found on the same island are dated back to 60,000 BP, making them the oldest known olives from the Mediterranean. Olives are not native to the Americas . Spanish colonists brought the olive to the New World , where its cultivation prospered in present-day Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Argentina. The first seedlings from Spain were planted in Lima by Antonio de Rivera in 1560. Olive tree cultivation quickly spread along

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5270-427: The maximum precipitation. Snowfall is experienced at elevation above 1,500 m (4,900 ft). The rainfall incidence in the Beqaa Valley, which widely varies spatially and temporally, is an annual average of 1,500 mm (60 in) in the mountainous region of the upper valley to a low of 700 mm (30 in) in the south in the coastal region. However, the average annual rainfall is 800 mm (30 in) in

5355-500: The natural microbiota present on the olives that survive the lye treatment process. Many organisms are involved, usually reflecting the local conditions or terroir of the olives. During a typical fermentation gram-negative enterobacteria flourish in small numbers at first but are rapidly outgrown by lactic acid bacteria species such as Leuconostoc mesenteroides , Lactobacillus plantarum , Lactobacillus brevis and Pediococcus damnosus . These bacteria produce lactic acid to help lower

5440-620: The old wildly growing Mediterranean species O. oleaster , with the seedlings called "oleasters". The sylvestris is characterized by a smaller, shrubby tree that produces smaller fruits and leaves. The subspecies O. e. cerasiformis is tetraploid , and O. e. maroccana is hexaploid . Wild-growing forms of the olive are sometimes treated as the species Olea oleaster , or "oleaster." The trees referred to as " white " and " black " olives in Southeast Asia are not actually olives but species of Canarium . Hundreds of cultivars of

5525-410: The oleuropein. They are usually considered "treated" when the lye has penetrated two-thirds of the way into the fruit. They are then washed once or several times in water to remove the caustic solution and transferred to fermenting vessels full of brine at typical concentrations of 8–12% NaCl. The brine is changed on a regular basis to help remove the phenolic compounds. Fermentation is carried out by

5610-402: The olive in 1779 as one of the foods preferred by the ancients and as one of the most perfect foods. Vitruvius describes of the use of charred olive wood in tying together walls and foundations in his De Architectura : The thickness of the wall should, in my opinion, be such that armed men meeting on top of it may pass one another without interference. In the thickness there should be set

5695-443: The olive rarely thrives at a distance from the sea, which in Greece invariably means up mountain slopes. Greek myth attributed to the primordial culture-hero Aristaeus the understanding of olive husbandry, along with cheese-making and bee-keeping. Olive was one of the woods used to fashion the most primitive Greek cult figures , called xoana , referring to their wooden material; they were reverently preserved for centuries. It

5780-547: The olive tree and plant carry the symbolic connotations of resilience, health, ancestral ties and community. Researchers have found that the olive tree is tied into the Palestinians' Sutra, A’wana and Sumud . The tree is a means of survival and security, represents their bond to their land, community and animals. Olive trees also serve as a symbol of their identities, which include their physical and emotional aspects and their socio-cultural values. Palestinian people view

5865-415: The olive tree are known. An olive's cultivar has a significant impact on its colour, size, shape, and growth characteristics, as well as the qualities of olive oil. Olive cultivars may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both. Olives cultivated for consumption are generally referred to as "table olives". Since many olive cultivars are self-sterile or nearly so, they are generally planted in pairs with

5950-405: The olive tree are known. Olive cultivars may be used primarily for oil, eating, or both. Olives cultivated for consumption are generally referred to as "table olives". About 80% of all harvested olives are turned into oil, while about 20% are used as table olives. The word olive derives from Latin ŏlīva 'olive fruit; olive tree', possibly through Etruscan 𐌀𐌅𐌉𐌄𐌋𐌄 ( eleiva ) from

6035-437: The olive trees as the first witnesses that Palestine is their homeland. The harvest season is referred to as "Palestine’s wedding" and is considered a national holiday when schools close for two days so that pupils and teachers can join in the harvest. This holiday allows community and family members to gather and serves as a ritual that encompasses their values surrounding family, labour, community and aid for other members of

6120-592: The other two being wheat for bread , pasta , and couscous ; and the grape for wine . Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking, for frying foods or as a salad dressing . It is also used in cosmetics , pharmaceuticals , and soaps , and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps , and has additional uses in some religions. Spain accounts for almost half of global olive oil production; other major producers are Portugal, Italy, Tunisia, Greece and Turkey. Per capita consumption

6205-555: The pH of the brine and therefore stabilize the product against unwanted pathogenic species. A diversity of yeasts then accumulate in sufficient numbers to help complete the fermentation alongside the lactic acid bacteria. Yeasts commonly mentioned include the teleomorphs Pichia anomala , Pichia membranifaciens , Debaryomyces hansenii and Kluyveromyces marxianus . Once fermented, the olives are placed in fresh brine and acid corrected, to be ready for market. Applied to green, semiripe and ripe olives, they are almost identical to

6290-438: The reservoir is 862 m (2,828 ft), where the area of the lake is 12.6 km (5 sq mi). The average water level for power generation is 835 m (2,740 ft), with the lowest level or the minimum draw-down level as 827 m (2,713 ft). The dam's upstream face is a concrete face of 47,000 m (506,000 sq ft) area, with thickness of concrete face varying from 50 cm (1.6 ft) at

6375-618: The southern end of the Beqaa Valley plains (a continuation of the Jordan Rift Valley ), crossing the southern periphery of the Mount Lebanon range and discharging into the sea north of Tyre , after traversing a length of 170 km (110 mi) entirely in Lebanon. The hydrographical system of Lebanon consisting of 40 major streams is typecast into five regions, which includes the Litani River Basin formed by

6460-534: The valleys of South America's dry Pacific coast where the climate was similar to the Mediterranean. Spanish missionaries established the tree in the 18th century in California . It was first cultivated at Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1769 or later around 1795. Orchards were started at other missions, but in 1838, an inspection found only two olive orchards in California. Cultivation for oil gradually became

6545-451: The wall of the Aten temple and were used in wreaths for the burial of Tutankhamun . It is likely that, as well as being used for culinary purposes, olive oil was also used to various other ends, including as a perfume. The ancient Greeks smeared olive oil on their bodies and hair as a matter of grooming and good health. Olive oil was used to anoint kings and athletes in ancient Greece. It

6630-585: The wealth of the Minoan civilization . The ancestry of the cultivated olive is unknown. Fossil olea pollen has been found in Macedonia and other places around the Mediterranean, indicating that this genus is an original element of the Mediterranean flora. Fossilized leaves of olea were found in the palaeosols of the volcanic Greek island of Santorini and dated to about 37,000 BP . Imprints of larvae of olive whitefly Aleurobus olivinus were found on

6715-460: The western periphery of the lake there are many restaurants and hotels which are popular during late spring and summer. During this time many large boats operate in the lake for lake viewing and also for fishing. In winter, when water level in the lake is high boats are operated to hunt for of birds such as wildfowl, mainly storks, heron, egrets and lark species. Olive The olive , botanical name Olea europaea , meaning 'European olive',

6800-636: Was brought back to Noah by a dove to demonstrate that the flood was over ( Book of Genesis 8:11). The olive is listed in Deuteronomy 8:8 as one of the seven species that are noteworthy products of the Land of Israel . According to the Halakha , the Jewish law mandatory for all Jews , the olive is one of the seven species that require the recitation of me'eyn shalosh after they are consumed. Olive oil

6885-449: Was burnt in the sacred lamps of temples and was the "eternal flame" of the original Olympic games. Victors in these games were crowned with its leaves. In Homer's Odyssey , Odysseus crawls beneath two shoots of olive that grow from a single stock, and in the Iliad , (XVII.53ff) there is a metaphoric description of a lone olive tree in the mountains, by a spring; the Greeks observed that

6970-502: Was first cultivated some 7,000 years ago in Mediterranean regions. For thousands of years olives were grown primarily for lamp oil, with little regard for culinary flavor. Its origin can be traced to the Levant based on written tablets, olive pits, and wood fragments found in ancient tombs. As far back as 3000 BC, olives were grown commercially in Crete and may have been the source of

7055-733: Was possible that the olive tree of the Acropolis dated to the Bronze Age. The olive was sacred to Athena and appeared on the Athenian coinage. According to another myth, Elaea was an accomplished athlete killed by her fellow athletes who had grown envious of her; but Athena and Gaia turned her into an olive tree as reward. Theophrastus, in On the Causes of Plants , does not give as systematic and detailed an account of olive husbandry as he does of

7140-522: Was purely a matter of local pride that the Athenians claimed that the olive grew first in Athens. In an archaic Athenian foundation myth , Athena won the patronage of Attica from Poseidon with the gift of the olive. According to the fourth-century BC father of botany, Theophrastus , olive trees ordinarily attained an age around 200 years, he mentions that the very olive tree of Athena still grew on

7225-444: Was the most sufficient geographical location and that is why it was authorized as the project venue. A service gallery, which is the pipe foundation, of 6,503 meters carries the water to the underground hydroelectric station . The water then goes through transformers and produces a maximum of 185 megawatts. The Litani dam will eventually provide local irrigation for 31,000 hectares of farmland in South Lebanon and 8,000 hectares in

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