Ann Marie Carey, age 15, of Marquette, Mich., for her question:

WHAT WAS THE LINE OF DEMARCATION?

The Line of Demarcation was a line drawn in 1493 by Pope Alexander VI to settle some land rights. It was actually an imaginary line drawn after Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the New World. It was drawn as a way to prevent possible disputes between Spain and Portugal over the rights to land in the Americas.

The line traveled north and south about 340 miles west of the Azores. Spain could claim land to the west of the line and Portugal could claim land to the east.

Since neither Spain nor Portugal liked the settlement, the line was moved to about 1,250 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands.

This gave Portugal the territory that is now eastern Brazil.

The line was never surveyed nor was its exact position established. Historians say it was near the 48 degree west longitude line.

A continuation of the line gave Portugal the right to claim the Philippine Islands but it gave up that claim. France, The Netherlands and England ignored the Line of Demarcation.