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Predominantly agricultural, Guinea produces rice, coffee, pineapples, cassava, bananas, palm kernels, and citrus fruits. Livestock raising is important in the highlands. The country has some of the world's largest bauxite deposits, which are mined jointly by Guinea and international companies. Iron ore, gold, and diamonds are also mined. Mineral exports accounted for about 75% of exports in the mid-1990s.
Alumina, made from bauxite, is also a leading export; other exports include fish and a variety of agricultural products. Guinea's chief trading partners are the United States, France, Belgium, and COte d'Ivoire. Guinea has some light industry, but inadequate transportation facilities have hampered industrialization. Rail lines connect some large cities, and there are airports at Conakry and Kankan. Expansion of the mineral industry has led to improvement of the road network.
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