A Way towards the Croatian Industrial Identity Based on Own Resources and Potentials

It might be useful to start by stating arguments for the positive image of, or even prejudice about, Croatia as a country with some key and untapped advantages in comparison with other countries. Can we consider as founded the claims that this country has a preserved and relatively clean environment – air, land, water, soil, flora and fauna – an advantageous geo-strategic location and creative, ingenious, and adaptable people who are ready to take risks and want to have the best life possible? Numerous comparative studies [1, 2] show that our air is cleaner than the European average because of the smaller share of industry or energy systems producing CO , SO , NO , dust particles, etc. According to some estimates, Croatia is ranked as high as the 5 country on the list of European countries with the largest supplies of fresh water. Many small and medium watercourses are clean and rich in edible fish, crabs, etc. The Adriatic Sea is the cleanest sea in the Mediterranean and is among the cleanest seas in the world with a rich and diverse flora and fauna. A big part of the cultivable land has been untended for over 20 years and it is therefore relatively unpolluted by artificial fertilizers. On the other hand, due to a relatively low share of industrial agricultural production, even the cultivated land is still not polluted to such an extent like for example in the Netherlands or Denmark. Around 44 % of the country's land surface is covered by well preserved and 2 2