Dividing up the World
As rivals in trans-Atlantic exploration, Spain and Portugal took their territorial disputes to the Pope, to gain official recognition of their new possessions and preserve their rights as regards the world's uncharted territories.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, arbitrated by Pope Alexander VI and signed in 1494, divided the world between Spain and Portugal according to a line of demarcation located approximately 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands.
As rivals in trans-Atlantic exploration, Spain and Portugal took their territorial disputes to the Pope, to gain official recognition of their new possessions and preserve their rights as regards the world's uncharted territories.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, arbitrated by Pope Alexander VI and signed in 1494, divided the world between Spain and Portugal according to a line of demarcation located approximately 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands.
