Aluminum is a lightweight, versatile metal used in a wide variety of appli-cations, including airplanes, automobiles, packaging, and building materials. The production of aluminum begins with the mining of bauxite in such coun-tries as Australia, Brazil, Guinea, Jamaica, and Suriname. Bauxite is an ore that contains a relatively high concentration of alumina (aluminum oxide), which is separated from the bauxite through a chemical refining process.