Histosols cover nearly 7% of the land surface of Europe. Histosols have the largest extent in Northern Europe but with the exceptions of Cyprus and Malta all EU Member States have Histosols.

The majority of Histosols are located in the boreal, subarctic and low arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Most of the remaining Histosols occur in temperate lowlands and cool mountain areas; only one-tenth of all Histosols are found in the tropics. Histosols are found at all latitudes, but the vast majority of them occur at low altitudes. The total extent of Histosols in the world is approximately 3.5 million km².

Histosols are composed mainly of organic soil material. During development, the organic matter production exceeds the rate of decomposition. The decomposition is retarded mainly by low temperatures or anerobic (low oxygen) conditions which result in high accumulations of partially decomposed organic matter.

A Histosol has a surface or shallow subsurface histic or folic horizon, which consists of partially decomposed plant remains with or without admixed sand, silt and/or clay.

The properties of the organic soil material (botanical composition, stratification, degree of decomposition, packing density, wood content, mineral admixtures, etc.) and the type of peat bog (basin peat, raised bog, etc.) determine the management requirements and use possibilities of Histosols. Northern Histosols are of little use for agriculture but they are part of a unique ecosystem and a habitat for many plant and animal species. Elsewhere more and more bogs are reclaimed for agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

Histosols are also known as peat, muck, bog and organic soil.