Nowadays, cork oak trees are found in the Mediterranean area, in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France or North Africa (Maroc, Algeria si Tunisia). However, Portugal is the world's largest producer and processor of cork.

The history of cork dates back to 3000 BC, when cork was used for fishing gear in China, Egypt, Babylon and Persia. In Italy it dates back to the 4th century B.C., where artifacts such as floaters, bottle caps, women's shoes and roofing materials were found. Also from that period date the first references related to cork oak, recalled by the Greek philosopher Theophrast, who, in his Treatises on Botanics and Ecology, referred with astonishment to “the ability of this tree to regenerate its bark after it has been removed”.

Later, in the first century of the Christian era, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder made extensive references to cork sticks in his well-known encyclopedia “Natural History”. He explained that in Greece trees were worshipped, being seen as a symbol of freedom and honor, which is why only priests were allowed to cut them. In the same work, we can read that the cork sticks were intended for the god of Olympus, Jupiter, and their leaves and branches were used for the crowns of victorious athletes. In Pompeii, the Roman city was destroyed by the brutal eruption of Mount Vesuvius, with wine amphores being found which were sealed with a cork.

In addition, in Portugal, environmental legislation on coral protection has been enacted since 1209. Later, in the era of discoveries, Portuguese shipbuilders and caravelles, who set out in search of new worlds, used cork oak for the parts that were most exposed to adverse weather conditions. They argued that "sôvaro", as it was called at the time, in addition to being strong, was also the best wood for waterfalls and rods.

In the eighteenth century in England, the first microscopic images of the flute were obtained, using a microscope designed in France by the monk Dom Pierre Perignon, who began to use flute to bottle bottles of the famous Champagne Dom Perignon. This choice continues to persist over the years, it is still preserved.

However, the cultivation of peat oak according to a pre-thought method dates back only to the 18th century, when the production of the peat sticks became the main objective. Also there were the first studies related to the chemical composition, compiled by the Italian chemist Brugnatelli, and the first compendium on the culture of cork oak, published in 1790 in Portugal by Joaquim Sequeira, entitled “Azinheiras, Sovereiras e Carvalhos da Província de Além-Tejo”.

In the 19th century, France, Italy and Tunisia invested in the methodical planting of cork forests, and countries such as Russia or the United States of America also began to plant cork stalks. In the United Kingdom, the first machine for the production of cork taps was patented, inventing both auxiliary equipment and machinery. For the first time, new industrial uses of cork have been used, such as simple or white sedimentary rocks, for floors discovered by the Americans. In the last years of the century, in Reims (France), the first two pieces of natural cork plugs began to be manufactured.

In 1903 appeared for the first time cork caps with natural discs and a crowded body (material obtinut prin aglomerare). A few years later, patents were filed for the use of cork in transmission belts and tyres, and during World War II, this material was used in many parts of military equipment. In the 1950s, an American company produced the first plywood-crowded plates. In recent decades, several different initiatives have emerged, aimed at researching and defining international standards for the cork industry, including the European Confederation of Liege (C.E. Liege), founded in 1987. Composed of cork federations from several countries, this organization presented in 1996 the International Code of Manufacture and Practice of Cork Fittings (ICCSMP), a key document for quality control in the production of corks fittings. This document describes and regulates the corresponding manufacturing processes, being continuously revised and updated, in accordance with an increasingly demanding level in terms of quality.

Eventually, all of the environmental concerns of the 21st century have become a constant, with the use of environmentally friendly, recyclable and biodegradable material such as cork increasing, especially in areas such as sustainable design and ecodesign. A growing number of generations of artists are seeking to create everyday objects – items for table, kitchen, leisure and furniture from “roots of the earth”, materials that are 100% natural, which contribute to environmental sustainability. An absolute innovation recently came in the market of cork oak: a car seat with base made from cork, which has halved its volume and made it 3 times lighter than traditional chairs. The extraordinary thing about this invention is that each of these new seats can reduce the weight of a normal car by 45 kg, thereby helping to solve two major problems in the automotive industry, weight and volume. Made of 60% cork ground, in addition to the fact that this seat offers the same comfort at half the volume, it has the benefit of being recyclable. The chair is a national project designed entirely by Portuguese know-how (design, technical and scientific support); however, it is still in the prototype stage, it already capturing the attention of Magna, the world leader in the production of automotive components, with orders worth over 300 million euros.