Houses Around the World
Do you live in a house? You might be surprised to learn that there are many, many kinds of houses. Most people in the United States are used to houses made of wood or bricks. But many people around the world live in houses made of grass, dirt, or cloth.
In the Great Rift Valley of Eritrea, the nomadic people who are in the Atr tribe build their houses of straw. Their houses are shaped like domes – half spheres. The homes are small and cool. The people can move their houses when they want to move. Since the people are nomads, they move often. They take their animals to new places in order to find food.
People who belong to the Uros tribe of Lake Titicaca, Peru build their houses of reeds. Not only that –– they also live on islands that are made of reeds! Their boats are made of reeds too! About 2,000 people live on these man–made islands. They started to build their own islands about 500 years ago.
In Andalusia, in the south of Spain, some people live in underground houses. This kind of house is called a cueba. During the winter, the houses stay warm. During the summer, the houses stay cool.
Fujian, China has many townhouses that are made of hard–packed soil. The dirt becomes as strong as brick when it is packed hard. One large family group lives in a townhouse. The townhouses were built around 300 years ago. A group of townhouses is protected by a thick dirt–packed wall.