IGLOO - ARCTIC

Climate:

Canada's Arctic region is located north of the Arctic Circle and the tree line. Short, cool summers and long, cold winters help to maintain permafrost (the ground is frozen all year) on the land. The southern part of this area has small hills; the northern part has mountains, glaciers, plains, and islands. Very little plants or trees grow in this area

Canada's Arctic region in green on the map.

Materials:

It is not easy to build in the Arctic using materials found in the environment. In a place with very few trees or bushes there is no wood, so almost all houses are now built using materials that are brought in from other places. Before this, people used ice to build their houses.

An igloo (Inuit language: iglu) or "snow house" is a shelter made from blocks of snow, generally in the form of a dome.

An igloo (or iglu) is a shelter (a place for people to stay warm and dry) made from blocks of snow placed on top of each other, often in the shape of a dome (like half of a hollow ball). They were used in winter as temporary shelters by hunters when they were away from their regular homes.

How Does an Igloo keep you warm?

An igloo's snowbrick laying method

View of an igloo from the side