A Geographical Overview Of The Soils Of Zimbabwe And Their Agricultural Potential

Abstract

Zimbabwe is endowed with a wide range of soils. The soils vary considerably in their age and degree of development, physical, chemical and mineralogical composition and, therefore, also in their land use potential. To a very large extent, their distribution is closely related to the nature and distribution of geological materials. Spatial variations that occur within a given area of parent material are then the result of the influence of the other soil-forming factors, especially climate and topography. In order to fully appreciate the variations in the distribution of soils, it is generally useful to examine the factors that have contributed to the development of the soils and then review the soil patterns in that context. In the sections that follow, such an approach will be adopted.