Final answer:
Small islands were of great value to Portugal and Spain as they provided strategic locations for trade routes, untapped resources, and opportunities for extending military power and influence during the Age of Discovery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The small islands colonized by Portugal and Spain were valuable territories for several reasons. For Portugal, islands like the Azores and Madeira offered untapped fishing potential, were strategically located as shipping superhighways and debarkation points for voyages to Africa, India, and Brazil, and served as intermediate trade posts. Spain saw the worth in islands such as the Philippines, which, despite not being the coveted Spice Islands, became critical bases for Asian trade and were later valuable for their proximity to silver mines in the American colonies.
These territories offered both nations strategic advantages in terms of trade routes and military presence. The colonization of these islands allowed them to establish new shipping routes, provide military outposts, and create a source of wealth through the resources and trade opportunities they afforded, including the silver trade in the case of Spanish colonies.
The small islands under Portuguese and Spanish control acted as crucial links in their global empires as they pursued both economic and political dominance during the Age of Discovery and beyond, setting the foundation for extended trade networks and influence.