The vast stretches of the High Arctic, shared between the Scandinavian countries, Russia, Alaska (USA), Canada and Greenland (Denmark), have mining, oil and gas reserves which are more and more coveted to satisfy the increasing demand on energy and raw material. Industrial exploitation on these icy lands where life is fragile, is confronted with demands of world environmental protection organisations and local populations which want their share of the profits.   With the climatic warming, the Arctic Ocean coasts and more and more free of ice. Navigation on the North-East and North-West passages is currently possible 20 to 30 days per year. By 2030, this could increase to 90 to 100 days per year, even 150 for icebreakers. Important port infrastructures are being built in Norway and Canada on these future maritime routes, the shortest distances between Europe and Asia.   The industrial development of the High Arctic raises territorial conflicts. Denmark recently tried to claim the North Pole, pretexting that the Lomonosov mountain range was the underwater continuity of Greenland. Navigability of the North-West rekindles the disagreement between Canada and the USA. Toronto considers that the North-West passage is Canadian, Washington says that it is an international maritime route. The Russians consider that the section of ocean running from the Siberian coast to the pole is part of their "zone of influence".   The Yamal icebreaker