Viken, Norway Viken, Norway Viken (Old Norse: Vík or Víkin) or Vika, was the historical name for a district in southeastern Norway, including the modern day Swedish province Bohuslän, which consisted of the area surrounding the Oslofjord and Skagerrak, the strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark. "Viken" is also the name chosen for a future administrative region consisting of a merger of the counties of Akershus, Buskerud, and Østfold. The cultural hub is centred in Oslo, but the capital of the region was formerly at Borre. This area included the important cities
Economy of Norway social services such as retirement, medical care, and disability benefits to all, and putting more of the capital into the public trust. Highly progressive income taxes, the introduction of value-added tax, and a wide variety of special surcharges and taxes made Norway one of the most heavily taxed economies in the world. Authorities particularly taxed discretionary spending, levying special taxes on automobiles, tobacco, alcohol, cosmetics, etc. Norway's long-term social democratic policies, extensive governmental tracking of information, and the homogeneity of its population lent themselves particularly well for economic study, and academic research from Norway proved to make significant contributions to