Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
"A single meridian drawn 370 leagues west of Cape Verde dividing the extra-European world"
Ratified on June 7, 1494, the Treaty of Tordesillas established a global meridian running roughly along 46°37'W, awarding everything west to Spain and everything east to Portugal. It inadvertently granted Portugal the eastern bulge of South America, creating the boundaries of Portuguese Brazil.
Historical Genesis & Geopolitics
Following Columbus's 1492 voyage, Catholic monarchs sought papal sanction to monopolize trade routes without armed confrontation. The treaty superseded the 1493 Papal Bull Inter Caetera.
Cartographic Mechanism & Impact
One of the earliest historical examples of cartographic geometry preceding actual physical exploration; continents were divided before European cartographers even knew they existed.
Signatory Parties & Sovereigns
- Kingdom of Spain
- Kingdom of Portugal
- Papal See (Pope Alexander VI)