The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, was an agreement between Spain and Portugal to divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe. This line of demarcation was about halfway between the Cape Verde islands (already Portuguese) and the islands discovered by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage (claimed for Spain).
Think of the Treaty of Tordesillas like a pizza that two friends are sharing. They draw a line down the middle to decide who gets what slice. In this case, Spain and Portugal were dividing up the "pizza" of new world territories.
Line of Demarcation: A boundary marking something off from something else. In this context, it refers to Pope Alexander VI's decision to draw a north-to-south line dividing South America into regions controlled by Spain and Portugal.
Age of Discovery: The period in history starting in the late 15th century and continuing into the 18th century during which Europeans explored Africa, Americas, Asia and Oceania.
Christopher Columbus: An Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening permanent European contact with Americas.
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