The main cause of the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 was the competition between Spain and Portugal for overseas territories. This treaty was negotiated to resolve disputes over newly discovered lands following Columbus' voyages to the Americas. The agreement, brokered by Pope Alexander VI, divided the non-European world between the two maritime powers along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands. This allowed Portugal to control parts of Africa and Asia, while Spain focused on the Americas, laying the groundwork for future colonial empires and influencing global trade patterns.