In the Lower Danube the natural dynamics of the river have built and re-built countless islands home to floodplain ecosystems. The islands are important migratory elements on the Danube. The Great Island of Braila, is a wetland separated from the mainland by two branches of this navigable river. The Grande Brăila Island covers a total area of 710 km2 and 94.6% of the area is occupied by agricultural land. Whilst the territories around Braila are cultivated with corn, rape, wheat and alfalfa. In addition to the hunting areas, there are also about 3,000 hectares of rice fields. The city of Brăila enjoyed a period of great splendour at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries thanks to its position on the Danube and subsequent strategic importance for trade; the local economy is in fact based on the great volume of grain traded and a large port area.