Terra preta (, locally , literally "black earth" or "black land" in
Portuguese) is a type of very dark, fertile manmade (
anthropogenic)
soil found in the
Amazon Basin. It is also known as
"Amazonian dark earth" or
"Indian black earth". In Portuguese its full name is
terra preta do índio or
terra preta de índio ("black earth of the
Indian", "Indians' black earth").
Terra mulata ("mulatto earth") is lighter or brownish in colour.