The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe. It assigned territories to each country, primarily in South America.
Related terms
Colonialism: The practice by which a nation extends its power over other countries or territories for economic gain.
Exploration: The act of traveling in order to discover new lands or resources.
Line of Demarcation: An imaginary line defined by the Pope during the Age of Exploration to separate Spanish and Portuguese territories in the New World.