(iii) Red Soils: These are crystalline soils formed due to meteoric weathering of the an-cient crystalline rocks. Such soils are found in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, south-eastern Maharashtra, eastern Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, and some districts of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Many of the so-called red soils of south India are not red. Red soils have also been found under forest vegetation.
(iv) Lateritic Soils: Laterite is a formation peculiar to India and some other tropical countries. Laterite rock is composed of a mixture of the hydrated oxides of aluminium and iron with small amounts of manganese oxides. Under the monsoon conditions, the siliceous matter of the rocks is leached away almost completely during weathering. Laterites are found on the hills of Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, the estern Ghats of Orissa. Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam.
