Aztec Empire

Hello! We are the people who built the Aztec Empire a long, long time ago. Our home was in a special place that is now the country of Mexico. We built our biggest and most important city, Tenochtitlan, in a very clever spot. It was not on a big field or a tall mountain. We built it right on an island! The island was sitting in the middle of a big, beautiful lake. Water was all around our homes, our buildings, and our city. It was an amazing and busy place to live.

Living on a lake was fun and interesting. To get from one place to another, we did not walk on roads like you do. Instead, we paddled around in canoes, which are like little boats that glide across the water. We were also great farmers and found a smart way to grow food. We made special floating gardens called chinampas. These gardens floated right on the water! On our chinampas, we grew lots of our food, like yummy corn and healthy beans. Grown-ups also loved a special drink made from cacao beans. You might know its flavor as chocolate!

Our empire ended many years ago, but we are still a part of the world. Our families and our ideas live on today in many ways. Many people who live in the country of Mexico are our descendants. This means their families started with us a long, long time ago. These families remember our stories, our art, and our delicious foods. The corn and chocolate we first grew are now enjoyed by people all over the world. So when you eat a piece of corn or have some chocolate, you are sharing a part of our special history.