Governorate of New León


New León Governorate or Magellanic Lands was one of the colonial governorates of the Spanish Empire, located in southern South America.

History

The governorate was created as one of King Charles V's grants of 1529, establishing the adelantado Simón de Alcazaba y Sotomayor as its first governor, captain general, and chief justice. The territory was described as extending 200 leagues down the Pacific coast from Pedro de Mendoza's grant of New Andalusia.
On May 21, 1534 the king signed three other capitulations to explore and occupy the American lands, establishing provinces or governorates of 200 leagues of north-south extension, including the governorship of Nueva León, granted to Simón de Alcazaba and Sotomayor, also from Atlantic Ocean to Pacific, south of 36° 57' 09S and up to 48° 22' 52s.
The Governorate was subsequently extended to the Strait of Magellan and the southern lands from it.