Croatia

Official name

Republic of Croatia

National Day

04.12.2005 (Tue)

Participant WEB site:

CROATIA EXPO 2005

Theme / Exhibition

The theme of the Croatia Pavilion is "A Drop of Water: a Grain of Salt." The structure of a "drop of water" is very simple, but an unlimited number of combinations can be made if other elements and chemical compounds are added. It is the base of all lives on the Earth. In the just one drop of water, all the wisdoms of nature are represented.

Since Croatia is a country accepting many stimuli from two large areas - the European Continent and the Mediterranean Sea, it is said the country represents the combination of water molecules.
On the first floor of the pavilion, a tour image of breaking through the sea surface from under the sea to an upper part is presented, making us remember the potentiality of the sea through ancient salt-making techniques.
Salt, a spice and natural preservative, represents wisdom and symbolizes moderation and purity. Today, everybody regards salt as a natural and ordinary thing, but historically, wars were repeated over saltpans, and the routes to transport salt were kept secret.
Work to separate salt from seawater and work to refine seawater into purified drinking water are both closely connected to the history of the people regarding the sea as important.
On the second floor, the whole picture of Croatia is introduced. Visitors feel as if they are flying over Croatia with bird's-eye video images taken from a plane of its scenery, the sea, cities, and the people and cultures.

Goods

At the pavilion, accessories, toys, hobby goods, arts and crafts, and food souvenirs are available.