Cork is an
impermeable,
buoyant material, a prime-subset of
bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from
Quercus suber (the Cork Oak), which is
endemic to southwest
Europe and northwest
Africa. Cork is composed of
suberin, a
hydrophobic substance and, because of its impermeable, buoyant, elastic, and fire retardant properties, it is used in a variety of products, the most common of which is
wine stoppers. The
montado landscape of
Portugal produces approximately half of cork harvested annually worldwide, with
Corticeira Amorim being the leading company in the industry. Cork was examined
microscopically by
Robert Hooke, which led to his discovery and naming of the
cell.