Liberia is rich in natural resources, notably iron ore, diamonds, gold, timber and rubber. All of these sectors suffered dramatically during the civil war. During a 14-year-long civil war that ended in 2003, all major mines were closed and the mineral sector’s contribution to the economy was reduced to a negligible level. In 2010, Liberia made significant progress in reviving the mining sector, which before 1990 had contributed more than 65% of the country’s export earnings and represented about 25% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). In 2010, the contribution of the mining sector to the GDP was 0.9%. The mineral commodities produced included cement, diamond, and gold. Liberia’s undeveloped mineral resources included base metals, such as cobalt, lead, manganese, nickel,and tin, and industrial minerals, such as dolorite, granite, ilmenite, kyanite, phosphate rock, rutile, silica sand, and sulfur.The agriculture sector continues to be the leading contributor to growth followed by the services sector. The mining sector’s contribution to growth has tripled (from 3.7% in 2011 to 10.4% in 2012) due to an expansion of iron ore production