When Europeans began expanding overseas in the 15th century, the Pope granted Portugal and Spain control over territories along the coasts of Africa and the Americas respectively through a series of papal bulls and treaties. This established the basis for European colonial domination around the world over the following centuries as explorers like Magellan and conquistadors like Cortes and Pizarro sought wealth and trade in Asia, Africa and the Americas often through the exploitation of native populations. The Age of Exploration opened vast new opportunities for economic and geographic expansion that transformed European dominance globally.

1. Division of the World