Why are igloos round?

Answer 1

Both Winner and Tomkat are right, Strongest shape.
If you want to try making an easy one yourself, try this:
Start making a huge mound of snow like the shape of half a ball sticking out of the groung, about 7 feet high.
Then get a lot of thin sticks and cut them all to about 2 feet in length.
Then start poking them straight into the mound toward the center.
Space them all evenly over the surface of the mound.
Then pick where your entrance will be (it should be on the leeward[downwind] side of the igloo) and dig straight into the center of it.
Once in the center, start hollowing out the inside until you reach the underside of the sticks you poked in.
Be careful not to jostle the sticks too much.
Find the exact center stick and pull it out leaving a small brathing hole.
Now, go back outside and start building a small, short tunnel for the entrance.
There you go, your first Igloo!

All an igloo is for is to keep the wind off.
If you were to be staying for several days out of necessity, You would build a small shelf for sleeping on to raise you off the ground about a foot.
Then, you could build a SMALL fire, no more than several twigs, preferably, you would build a larger fire outside, then, bring the coals inside and "Bank" them so that the produce a constant, small, heat all night long.

Answer 2

They are dome shaped for strength, and in the regions where we find igloos, there are strong winds because of the bare landscape, so dome shapes allow the winds to go around. A straight wall would block the winds but you would have to build them much stronger.

Answer 3

Because you touch yourself at night

Answer 4

So the smoke from the fire can go right out the top and not gag you--and you won't get poked w sharp corners- cuz they made them that way-D

Answer 5

they are dome shaped for strength and heat efficiency. A dome is least likely to collapse .

Answer 6

simple construction - quick
less room to heat with limited resources