South Pole

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where Earth’s axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of Earth and lies on the opposite side of Earth from the North Pole.

Situated on the continent of Antarctica, it is the site of the United States Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, which was established in 1956 and has been permanently staffed since that year. The Geographic South Pole is distinct from the South Magnetic Pole, the position of which is defined based on Earth’s magnetic field. The South Pole is at the centre of the Southern Hemisphere.

For most purposes, the Geographic South Pole is defined as the southern point of the two points where Earth’s axis of rotation intersects its surface (the other being the Geographic North Pole). However, Earth’s axis of rotation is actually subject to very small “wobbles” (polar motion), so this definition is not adequate for very precise work.