Centuries ago, the far north of Scandinavia had no clear national boundaries. The region was sparsely populated by the Sámi people, who at times paid taxes to multiple kingdoms in overlapping “no man’s land” zones. As early as 1326, Norway and the Republic of Novgorod (medieval Russia) signed the Treaty of Novgorod to divide their spheres of influence in the Arctic, determining which Sámi communities would pay tribute to which realm.