The historical development of the Saami people in the XXI century differs a lot from the XX century and even more so from the XIX century. And over time, these changes are becoming more and more apparent. At the end of the 20th century the Saami, divided by the state borders of as many as 4 states and not having their own statehood, could only be compared with the Kurds or Balochs. That is the reason they are called "Kurds of Northern Europe".