Final answer:
The benefits of Tenochtitlan being built on an island included a naturally fortified position that made the city difficult to attack and the use of chinampas for efficient, space-effective agriculture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Benefits of Tenochtitlan's Island Location
The capital city of the Aztec Empire, Tenochtitlan, boasted several significant advantages by virtue of its insular placement, particularly concerning defense and agriculture.
Firstly, the location on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco provided natural protection against invasions, which meant lesser reliance on military forces to protect the city. As a result, Tenochtitlan was inherently difficult to attack because any invading force would have to traverse water or narrow causeways, which could easily be defended or removed to hinder access.
Secondly, the Aztecs ingeniously leveraged their aquatic surroundings by constructing chinampas, also known as floating gardens.
These chinampas were highly productive agricultural platforms that allowed for intensive farming. They increased the city's capacity to feed a large population through efficient use of space and provided easily accessible irrigation, which enhanced food security and urban self-reliance in a time when external trade could be unreliable.