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South Pole

This article is about the Geographic South Pole. For other uses, see South Pole (disambiguation).

The Geographic South Pole is marked by the stake on the right
NASA image showing Antarctica and the South Pole in 2005

The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is the southernmost point on Earth and lies antipodally on the opposite side of Earth from the North Pole, at a distance of 20,004 km (12,430 miles) in all directions. It is one of the two points where Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface.

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 the center of the Southern Hemisphere.90°S 0°E / 90°S 0°E / -90; 0