The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, divided newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal. Following Christopher Columbus's voyages, both countries sought to assert their claims in the Americas and elsewhere. The treaty established an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean; lands to the west would belong to Spain, while those to the east would belong to Portugal. This agreement aimed to resolve conflicts over territorial claims and allowed both nations to focus on exploration and colonization, significantly shaping the course of global history and imperial expansion.