Viken

Viken was an administrative division in southeastern Norway that existed from 2020 to 2024, covering areas between the Swedish border and the Oslofjord. The region included several dozen municipalities and stretched across a large part of the eastern coastal strip and inland territories.

The name derives from the Viking Age and referred to the bay around the Oslofjord, which changed hands between Danish and Norwegian rulers over centuries. The administrative unit was created in 2020 by merging three older regions and dissolved again after four years.

Multiple educational institutions, regional theaters, and municipal libraries across Viken contribute to the intellectual development of its 1.2 million inhabitants.

Travelers visiting this area today move through the three restored regions of Akershus, Buskerud, and Østfold. Transport connections between the main towns continue to operate through the same network of trains, buses, and ferries as before.

The short-lived administrative unit existed for only four years and was split back into the original three regions in 2024 despite its large population. This rapid return to the old structure reflects the importance of regional identity in the Norwegian administrative system.

Location: Norway

Inception: January 1, 2020

Part of: Eastern Norway

Shares border with: Innlandet, Vestland, Vestfold og Telemark, Oslo Municipality, Värmland County, Västra Götaland County

Website: https://viken.no

GPS coordinates: 60.00000,10.00000

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:40