2. Origins The origins of the Portuguese Empire lay in the reconquista, the gradual Christian reconquest of the Iberian peninsula from the Moors. At the time, Europe had no idea what lay beyond Cape Bojador on the African coast. Henry the Navigator wanted to know how far the Muslim territories in Africa went on, and whether it was possible to reach Asia by boat. In 1443 Prince Pedro granted Henry the monopoly of navigation, war and trade in the lands south of Cape Bojador.
3. Division of the World (1492) When Christopher Columbus discovered the “New World” for Spain in 1492, believing it to be Asia, Spain and Portugal began to have many disputes. These disputes were settled by the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which divided the world outside of Europe between the Portuguese and the Spanish. It was not possible at the time to measure exact longitude, so Spain and Portugal disputed their boundaries until 1777.
