Editing Finnmark (section)

=== Norwegian ===
[[File:Kola Peninsula map from 1660.jpg|thumb|A Dutch map of Finnmark (1660), showing the border between Norway, Sweden and Russia.]]

[[Gjesvær]] in Nordkapp is mentioned in the [[Sagas]] ([[Heimskringla]]) as a northern harbor in the [[Viking Age]], especially used by Vikings on the way to [[Bjarmaland]] (see [[Ottar from Hålogaland]]), and probably also for gathering food in the nearby seabird colony. Coastal areas of Finnmark were colonized by Norwegians beginning in the 10th century, and there are stories describing clashes with the [[Karelians]]. Border skirmishes between the Norwegians and [[Republic of Novgorod|Novgorodians]] continued until 1326, when the [[Treaty of Novgorod (1326)|Treaty of Novgorod]] settled the issue.

The first known [[fortification]] in Finnmark is [[Vardøhus Fortress|Vardøhus festning]], first erected in 1306 by King [[Haakon V Magnusson]]. This is [[the world's most northern]] fortress. In the 17th century, 88 young women were burned as witches in Vardø, an extremely high number compared to the total population in this area at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1970-01-01 |title=BioOne article |url=http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-document&issn=0013-0001&volume=057&issue=03&page=0403 |access-date=2009-02-12 |publisher=Bioone.org}}</ref> The first person burned as witch in Vardø in the 17th century was a man. [Vardø archives]

Finnmark first became subject to increased colonization in the 18th and 19th century. Norway, Sweden, and Russia all claimed control over this area. Finland was part of Russia at that time and had no independent representative. Finnmark was given the status of an ''[[Amt (subnational entity)|Amt]]'' (county) in the 19th century. For a time, there was a vibrant trade with Russia ([[Pomor trade]]), and a number of Norwegians settled on the [[Kola Peninsula]] (see [[Kola Norwegians]]).