Tordesillas Treaty

The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal to divide newly discovered lands outside Europe. To avoid conflicts, the countries drew an imaginary line west of the Cape Verde Islands; lands west of the line would belong to Spain, and those east would belong to Portugal. This division influenced the shape of the modern world, helping Spain claim much of Central and South America, while Portugal gained territories that became Brazil, parts of Africa, and Asia. The treaty was a key step in European exploration and colonization during the Age of Discovery.