Land of Hateg Identity and Regional Brands

The present paper, through its subject, proposes an analysis of the Land of Hateg regional system identity state. This is accomplished by correlating the value of a set of indicators which have defining valences in terms of perception of the local community; regarding significant elements of this geographic space. From the perspective of the regional geography, the identity of a region derives from a mix of representative elements and interrelations, belonging to both the natural and the anthropic framework, which have the status of regional brands and can constitute the main elements of attractiveness for the territory in question. All the so-called "country"-type regional systems have a set of specific elements through which their personality and territorial individuality can be deciphered. The identity assessment of a region consists mainly in the analysis of those outstanding elements defined as regional brands. The more well-known and diversified they are, the more attractive the region, and it also presents more obvious development possibilities. Our research was based on the analysis of authenticity of the identity elements (brands) defined in agreement with the 12 scientific papers which were focused on the Land of Hateg, and their comparison with the identity heritage of the territory, extracted from a 330 questionnaires survey of local respondents. The conclusions of the study highlighted the fact that the Land of Hateg is a region with certain identity brands, especially historical, but their hierarchy is differentiated in the researchers' view, compared to the current perception of the region's inhabitants.