The consequence of the signing of the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 was the division of the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal. This treaty established an imaginary line in the Atlantic Ocean, granting Spain rights to lands west of the line and Portugal to those east of it. As a result, it significantly influenced the patterns of colonization in the Americas, leading to Spain's dominance in much of South America while Portugal focused on territories in Brazil and parts of Africa and Asia. The treaty exemplified the early European approach to imperial expansion and the competition for global dominance.