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.
where is the answer
D. They relied on waterways like the Strait of Malacca to control important sea trade routes.
The geography of the Malacca and Brunei sultanates provided them with strategic access to important waterways, particularly the Strait of Malacca. This strait connected the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, making it a crucial point in international trade routes. The sultanates used their control over this waterway to regulate and tax maritime trade, allowing them to accumulate wealth and exert significant influence over regional commerce. Being located along these trade routes also facilitated cultural exchange and the development of diverse communities within the sultanates.