Belarus lacks major deposits of industrial raw materials. It has, however, huge deposits of peat. The most useful mineral deposit is potash, which goes into the production of potassium fertilizer. The southern part of the republic produces some petroleum, but most of Belarus' petroleum is imported by pipeline from the east. Two large refineries process this oil.
Chemical plants operate near the potash deposits and the oil refineries.
There are major truck and tractor plants, and tractors, motor vehicles, and farm products are exported to other countries. Other economic activities include lumbering and woodworking. Minsk, the capital, produces about one third of the republic's industrial output. Several railroad lines cross Belarus, and Minsk is linked by air with many cities in the western part of Russia. For centuries the area that is now Belarus was divided between Russia and Poland.