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Nickel (cobalt) laterite deposits are the leading source of Ni and an important source of Co, two metals that are crucial in technologies needed in the transition to a low-carbon economy. These deposits can be simply described as red soils formed from the weathering of the seafloor segment that was brought on land millions of years ago. The weathering process causes the breakdown of the original components of the rocks, called minerals, the leaching of elements, and the transformation of one mineral into another. While this process concentrates Ni and Co, it simultaneously renders the deposit complex and heterogeneous, thereby making metal recovery significantly challenging. Knowledge of the properties of the ore is a crucial component in mineral processing. This study, therefore, aims to characterize the Kastoria, Evia, Albania, and Turkey laterite deposits in southeastern Europe to assist in enhancing current processing methods or even in developing new techniques that are more efficient in metal extraction. Optical microscopy, XRD, ICP-OES/MS, Raman spectroscopy, and SEM-EDS were employed to determine the mineralogy, texture, and chemistry of the laterite deposits. Evia, Albania, and Turkey deposits are composed predominantly of Fe oxyhydroxides, although Evia has a significant amount of Mg silicates, while Turkey contains almost the same amount of smectite as Fe oxyhydroxides. Kastoria has more Mg silicates than Fe oxyhydroxides, but their amounts are very close. Quartz, smectite, and calcite also occur in substantial amounts in most deposits. The Kastoria deposit contains 0.98% Ni and 0.03% Co. Eleven textural groups were classified, where serpentine and/or goethite are present as ore minerals. In the Evia deposit, the bulk amounts of Ni and Co are 0.93% and 0.05%, respectively. There are nine textural groups identified, and goethite, serpentine, and chlorite are the main Ni-hosting minerals. The Albania deposit has 0.97% Ni and 0.05% Co in bulk concentration. In seven textural groups, goethite, serpentine, chlorite, and hematite are classified as the ore minerals. The bulk amount of Ni in the Turkey deposit is 2.17%, while that of Co is 0.11%. Nine textural groups are recognized, and the main Ni-bearing minerals are goethite, serpentine, and asbolane. Asbolane is the only mineral where substantial amounts of Co were measured. Overall, the type of ore and gangue minerals, and the relative proportions of minerals and elements, among others, are significant considerations in ore processing.