The Treaty of Tordesillas was an agreement between Spain and Portugal aimed at settling conflicts over lands newly discovered or explored by Christopher Columbus and other late 15th-century voyagers. Brokered by the Pope, the treaty drew an imaginary line of demarcation from north to south through the Atlantic Ocean. All lands to the west of the line belonged to Spain, while all lands to the east belonged to Portugal. This explains why Brazil became the only Portuguese-speaking nation in South America, as it extended east of the line. The treaty effectively ignored the rights of the indigenous people already living in these regions. It represents the height of European colonial arrogance and the beginning of a global era where European powers carved up the world into spheres of influence, profoundly shaping the linguistic and cultural map of the Americas.