The purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, was to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the two major maritime powers of the time, Spain and Portugal. It aimed to address the growing rivalry between the two countries over their respective territorial claims in newly explored territories, particularly in the newly discovered Americas following the voyages of Christopher Columbus. The treaty attempted to draw a line of demarcation, known as the Tordesillas Line, which granted Spain most of the lands to the west of the line while Portugal received territories to the east. This helped to reduce conflicts and establish a clearer division of territories between the two powers.
