Editing Østfold (section)

== History ==
{{stack|{{Historical populations
|footnote = '''''Source''': [http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/02/02/folkendrhist_en/tables/tab/01.html Statistics Norway].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable%2FhovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=folkfram |title=Projected population - Statistics Norway |access-date=2011-07-18 |archive-date=2013-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023110552/http://statbank.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/Default_FR.asp?PXSid=0&nvl=true&PLanguage=0&tilside=selecttable%2FhovedtabellHjem.asp&KortnavnWeb=folkfram |url-status=dead }}</ref>''
|shading = off
|1951|185492 	 		 			  	 	  	  	  	 	  	  	  	  		  	  	  	  	  	
|1961|202751	 	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	
|1971|221386 	 	  	  	  	 	 	  	  	  	 	  	    	  	  	  	  	  	
|1981|233301 	 		 	 	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	 	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	 	
|1991|238345	 	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	 	  	  	  	  	  	
|2001|251032 	 	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	  	 	  	  	  	  	  	 	  	  	  	
|2011|274827	
|2021?|309613
|2031?|339601	  	  	  	  	  	  	
}}}}
Østfold is among the nation's oldest inhabited regions, with petroglyphs (rock drawings) and burial mounds throughout the area.

In the [[Viking Age]], the area was part of [[Vingulmark]], which in turn was part of [[Viken, Norway|Viken]] and included [[Bohuslän|Båhuslen]] (which is now the Swedish province called ''Bohuslän''). It was partly under Danish rule until the time of [[Harald I of Norway|Harald Fairhair]].

Later, when Norway was under [[Denmark|Danish rule]], the Danish king divided the area into many baronies. The barony of ''Heggen og Frøland'', consisting of the municipalities [[Askim]], [[Eidsberg]] and [[Trøgstad]], originally belonged to [[Akershus]] - but it was transferred to Østfold in 1768.

In October 2018, Norwegian archaeologists headed by the archaeologist Lars Gustavsen announced the discovery of a buried {{convert|20.|m|abbr=on}} long Gjellestad Viking ship. An ancient well-preserved Viking cemetery for more than 1000 years was discovered using ground-penetrating radar. Archaeologists also revealed at least seven other previously unknown burial mounds and the remnants of five longhouses with the help of the radar survey.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-10-15|title=Viking ship burial discovered in Norway just 50cm underground|url=http://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/oct/15/viking-ship-burial-discovered-in-norway-just-50cm-underground|access-date=2021-02-01|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Starr|first=Michelle|title=A Rare Viking Ship Burial Was Just Discovered in Norway, Less Than 2 Feet Underground|url=https://www.sciencealert.com/jellestad-ship-viking-burial-iron-age-jelle-mound-ground-penetrating-radar-norway|access-date=2021-02-01|website=ScienceAlert|date=15 October 2018 |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=McGreevy|first=Nora|title=For the First Time in a Century, Norway Will Excavate Viking Ship Burial|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/first-time-century-norway-will-excavate-viking-ship-burial-180974854/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=miljødepartementet|first=Klima-og|date=2020-05-12|title=Vil grave fram det første vikingskipet på 100 år|url=https://www.regjeringen.no/nn/aktuelt/gjellestadskipet/id2701917/|access-date=2021-02-01|website=Regjeringa.no|language=nn-NO}}</ref>