How did geography most benefit the Malacca and Brunei sultanates?
A.
They depended on natural barriers like mountains to protect them from invasion.
B.
They used overland access to India and China to develop profitable trade relations.
C.
They spread out across many islands, making it difficult for other peoples to conquer and control them.
D.
They relied on waterways like the Strait of Malacca to control important sea trade routes.
And your answer is?
To determine how geography most benefited the Malacca and Brunei sultanates, we can analyze the options provided.
A. They depended on natural barriers like mountains to protect them from invasion: This option does not align with the geographic advantages of the Malacca and Brunei sultanates, as mountains do not play a significant role in their geographical settings.
B. They used overland access to India and China to develop profitable trade relations: While the Malacca and Brunei sultanates did have access to overland trade routes, this option does not capture their main geographic advantage.
C. They spread out across many islands, making it difficult for other peoples to conquer and control them: This option reflects a key geographic advantage of the sultanates. The extensive archipelago they inhabited, with many islands, made it challenging for other nations or groups to conquer and control them.
D. They relied on waterways like the Strait of Malacca to control important sea trade routes: This option correctly identifies a crucial geographic advantage for the sultanates. The Strait of Malacca, a strategic waterway, allowed the sultanates to control important sea trade routes, which greatly benefited their economies and political dominance.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. They relied on waterways like the Strait of Malacca to control important sea trade routes.