Archive · 18 Dec 2025
7 Coldest Villages On Earth
Some villages on Earth are so cold that living there is very hard.
The coldest is Oymyakon in Russia, where it can get as cold as -67.7°C.
People there keep their car engines running all the time to stop them from freezing.
In Verkhoyansk, also in Russia, people eat a lot of reindeer meat and wear thick fur clothes to stay warm.
In Utqiagvik, Alaska, it's dark for more than 65 days in winter, and people hunt whales to survive.
Snag in Canada is also very cold, and people use big wood stoves to keep warm.
In Longyearbyen, Norway, houses are built on stilts to stop the ground from melting, and people have to be careful of polar bears.
Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut in Canada, is also very cold, and people live in well-insulated houses and eat caribou and fish.
Oymyakon, Russia, holds the record for the coldest inhabited place on Earth at -67.7°C.
Verkhoyansk, Russia, residents rely on high-fat diets and thick fur clothing to endure extreme cold.
Utqiagvik, Alaska, experiences over 65 days of winter darkness and combines modern and traditional survival methods.
Snag, Yukon, Canada, has recorded the continent's lowest temperature at -63°C and uses wood-burning stoves for warmth.
Longyearbyen, Norway, has houses built on stilts to prevent thawing permafrost and requires polar bear protection.
- Who
- Residents of remote villages in Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Norway
- What
- Living in extremely cold conditions with temperatures as low as -67.7°C
- When
- During winter seasons, with some places experiencing prolonged darkness
- Where
- Oymyakon, Verkhoyansk (Russia), Utqiagvik (Alaska), Snag (Yukon, Canada), Longyearbyen (Norway), Iqaluit (Canada)
- Why
- To survive in these harsh environments, residents rely on specialized diets, clothing, and housing adaptations
- Oymyakon, Russia
- Record low: -67.7°C, uses thermal power plant
- Verkhoyansk, Russia
- High-fat diets, thick fur clothing
- Utqiagvik, Alaska
- 65+ days of winter darkness, subsistence whaling
- Snag, Yukon, Canada
- Continent's lowest temp: -63°C, wood-burning stoves
- Longyearbyen, Norway
- Houses on stilts, polar bear protection
- Iqaluit, Canada
- Average winter temp: -27°C, insulated homes