The following issues stand out:
- Conflicts between Denmark-Norway, Sweden and Russia about borders and the right to levy taxes on the Sámi people of the interior. The same people were frequently taxed two or three times. The border with Sweden-Finland was not formalised until 1751, when Kautokeino and Karasjok were included in Denmark-Norway, and the border with Russia set in 1826.
- Competition lasting for several centuries between citizens of Bergen, Trondheim and Copenhagen concerning trading privileges. From around 1700, Russian Pomor traders also participated in the trade in Northern Norway. As early as 1100, Finnmark and the rest of Northern Norway became important suppliers of fish to the European market. At the same time, the northern part of Norway needed to import grain from the south or the east.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the Danish-Norwegian civil service worked hard to develop agriculture in Finnmark. This was not in harmony with the traditional Sámi way of exploiting natural resources, while the merchants feared it would lead to a reduced supply of fish.
In the early 1800s, Finnmark, like the rest of Norway, was hit by crop failure and war. During the Napoleonic wars (1800–1815), the Dano-Norwegians were allied with France, and British warships blockaded the coast. In 1809, Hammerfest – which had obtained city status in 1789 – was attacked and plundered by the British.