History
The Cultural Significance of Aztec Chinampas in Tenochtitlan's Economy
Quick fact
At the height of Tenochtitlan, chinampas covered roughly 9,000 hectares and could yield up to seven harvests per year, far exceeding the productivity of modern farming.
Why this is interesting
You may have seen pictures of floating gardens, but did you know that an entire empire once fed its capital using them? How did the Aztecs turn a lake into a vast system of farmland that supported one of the largest cities in the world?