The Treaty of Tordesillas signed in 1494 significantly affected the region of South America, particularly Brazil. This treaty was an agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing the newly discovered lands outside Europe. The demarcation line, drawn by the Pope, granted Spain the rights to most of the Americas while Portugal received territories in present-day Brazil and Africa. This division influenced the colonial patterns and cultural developments in both regions, as it determined the languages, religions, and social structures that would emerge as a result of European colonialism.