Building the Igloo

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An Igloo, otherwise known as a Snow House or a Snow Hut, is a type of shelter built using snow blocks and is typical for people of Canada's Central Arctic and of Greenland's Thule area. The pockets of air trapped in the snow act as a thermal insulator. The igloo can protect its occupants from wind, and even with the temperatures outside as low as -45°C, the inside temperature can rise to as high as 16°C using the body heat alone. Built correctly, an igloo will support the weight of a man standing on its top.