Photo: Orange Grove Valencia

Orange trees ready to be harvested in a grove near Oliva in Valencia, Spain in Europe.

The town of Oliva in Valencia is in the centre of the orange growing area of Spain. Just 75 kilometers south of Valencia, the capital city of Valencia Province Oliva is a historic little place with narrow streets and castle ruins.An orange grove near the town of Oliva, Spain produces sweet, juicy Valencia oranges. Oranges have been cultivated for centuries, although the sour variety have been around before the Middle Ages, but the sweet oranges are comparatively newcomers, only developed in the 15th century.Orange groves first began in South Asia, then slowly spread to the warm climate of the Mediterranean region - Italy, Spain and Portugal. As time went on the explorers from Spain brought the orange to Florida and the Spanish missionaries introduced it to the western state of California.The orange groves near Oliva in Spain are just part of the huge industry that make Spain the sixth top producer of oranges in the world (2,294,600 tonnes were grown in 2005). ... continue below the picture...

... Even orange blossoms that fall from the trees are harvested, dried and made into a delicate flavoured tea.Orange Grove near Oliva in Valencia, Spain, Europe.