ABSTRACT
The settlement patterns of the French, English, and Dutch took a somewhat different shape than Spanish and Portuguese continental settlements as a consequence of delayed colonization. This was in contrast to colonies in the Caribbean islands and along the Caribbean coast, where the settlement patterns were similar for various European nations. Spain succeeded in ruling most of South America, with the exception of Brazil and the Guianas, and it also controlled Central America, though it lost Belize to the British in the nineteenth century. The Portuguese also gained a significant part of the Americas with their acquisition of Brazil and briefly attempted to claim parts of Newfoundland according to the Treaty of Tordesillas after Cabot's voyages. The most important reason for the lag in Atlantic colonization by northern European powers was the northern part of the European continent became preoccupied with the Protestant Reformation and then the resulting continental wars.
