Tag: the treaty of tordesillas

The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement between Spain and Portugal that divided the non-European world between the two countries. The treaty was signed on June 7, 1494, and it established a line of demarcation that ran from pole to pole, 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. All lands to the east of the line were claimed by Portugal, while all lands to the west were claimed by Spain.