Today, stilt houses are still common in parts of South East Asia, Papua New Guinea and West Africa. In the Alps, similar buildings, known as raccards, are still in use as granaries. Stilted graneries are also a common feature in West Africa, e.g. in the Malinke language regions of Mali and Guinea.
Stilt houses are also common in the western hemisphere, and appear to have been an indigenous creation by the Amerindians in pre-Columbian times. They are especially widespread along the banks of the tropical river valleys of South America (Palafito), notably the Amazon and Orinoco river systems. Stilt houses were such a prevalent feature along the shores of Lake Maracaibo that Amerigo Vespucci was inspired to name the region "Venezuela" (little Venice).
Vietnamese stilt house - similar to the Thai ones, despite having a front door with a smaller height due to religious reasons.
Palafito - Found throughout South America since Pre-Columbian times.
Lake dwelling
A lake dwelling is a house or other structure built over shallow waters, such as a lake or marsh, supported on piles or artificial mounds of earth or wood. Prehistoric lake dwellers lived on all continents save Australia and Antarctica; notable among these were the Neolithic inhabitants of what is now the European Alps. Living examples are the lake settlements of the Ganvie region of Benin (in West Africa) and in the Inle Lake region of Myanmar (in Southeast Asia).
