The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement made in 1494 between Spain and Portugal to divide newly discovered lands outside Europe. The treaty established a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, granting Spain rights to territories west of this line and Portugal rights to those east of it. This division aimed to resolve conflicts over newly explored lands. The treaty was significant in shaping the colonial empires of Spain and Portugal. It allowed Portugal to claim parts of Brazil and Spain to explore much of the Americas. The agreement was later endorsed by the Pope, but it did not prevent further disputes over territory.