What is an Igloo?

IGLOO, IGH loo -- is the Eskimo name for a shelter, such as a tent of canvas or animal skins, or a house made of snow, sod, or stone. The best-known igloo is the winter snowhouse of the central Canadian Eskimos.

Hard-packed snow is cut into blocks from 2 ot 3 feet (61 to 91 centimeters) long and 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 centimeters wide). These are fitted together in a spiral that becomes smaller toward the top to form a dome. A small hole poked through the top of the dome admits fresh air, and a fire is often lighted inside. the entrance is a tunnel that traps cold air.

A thin slob of ice may be set in the igloo wall for a window, and shelves for utensils maybe cut into the walls. the Eskimos eat and sleep on a raised snow platform covered with furs. A family snowhouse is about 10 feet (3 meters) wide.