Soil classification deals with the systematic categorization of soils based on distinguishing soil characteristics as well as criteria that dictate choices in land use.
Most commonly used is a supra-national classification, also called World Soil Classification, developed by the FAO. It offers useful generalizations about soils pedogenesis concerning the interactions with the main soil-forming factors. It was first published in the form of the UNESCO Soil Map of the World (1974). Many of the names offered in that classification are known in many countries and do have similar meanings.
Check out the Educational posters on The Major Soil types of Europe and The Major Soil Types of Northern Circumpolar Region here.