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Treaty of Tordesillas

"Cursed is he who moves his neighbour’s boundary mark." (Deuteronomy 27)

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After Columbus discovered America in 1492, tensions arose between Spain and Portugal over the possession of new territories. To avoid war, Pope Alexander VI mediated between the powers, leading to the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. The Treaty vaguely established a meridian off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands. Territories West of the meridian belonged to Spain, while lands east of the meridian were to be Portuguese.

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Picture of Meridian: No Changes Were Made. Source / Author: Atlas Nacional de España: https://atlasnacional.ign.es/images/9/9a/Mundo_El-reparto-del-espacio-terrestre–Tordesillas-y-Zaragoza_1494-1529_mapa_15215_spa.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:El_reparto_del_espacio_terrestre_en_Tordesillas_y_Zaragoza,_1494-1529.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en

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Pablo Mathis Pablo Mathis studied Security Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands and now pursued a Master at the Kings College London. Pablo’s main area of interest is national security, with a special focus on great-power competition and nuclear and conventional deterrence. When analyzing these issues, Pablo believes in adopting a historical perspective and building on various international relations theories.

Cite this brief
Mathis, P. (2023). Treaty of Tordesillas. EPIS Insight · International Relations & Diplomacy.
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