Laterites are a type of soil that forms in tropical areas. T…
Laterites are a type of soil that forms in tropical areas. They are particularly poor types of soil for agriculture which explains why tropical people often practice swidden agriculture (a.k.a. slash and burn agriculture). How and why do laterites form where they do? Why are the soils so poor for agriculture? Often the terms laterite and bauxite are used interchangeably when talking about mining. But, they should not be – they are different. What is the difference?