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Geographical pole
 
 
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A geographical pole (also geographic pole), is either of two points on the surface of a spinning planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 or other spinning body, at 90 degrees from its equator
Equator

The equator is the intersection of the Earth's surface with the Plane perpendicular to the Earth's rotation and containing the Earth's center of mass....
, at one of the two points where the axis around which the body spins meets the surface of the body.

It is possible for geographical poles to "wander" slightly relative to the surface of a body due to perturbations in rotation. The Earth's actual physical North Pole and South Pole vary cyclically by a few meters over the span of each few years.






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A geographical pole (also geographic pole), is either of two points on the surface of a spinning planet
Planet

A planet , as 2006 definition of planet by the International Astronomical Union , is a celestial body orbiting a star or Stellar evolution#Stellar remnants that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared the neighbourhood of planetesimals....
 or other spinning body, at 90 degrees from its equator
Equator

The equator is the intersection of the Earth's surface with the Plane perpendicular to the Earth's rotation and containing the Earth's center of mass....
, at one of the two points where the axis around which the body spins meets the surface of the body.

It is possible for geographical poles to "wander" slightly relative to the surface of a body due to perturbations in rotation. The Earth's actual physical North Pole and South Pole vary cyclically by a few meters over the span of each few years. This phenomenon is distinct from the precession of the equinoxes
Precession of the equinoxes

In astronomy, precession refers to a gravitationally-induced slow but continuous change in an astronomical body's rotational axis or orbital path....
 of the Earth, in which the angle of the planet (both axis and surface, moving together) varies slowly over tens of thousands of years.

As cartography
Cartography

File:Mediterranean chart fourteenth century2.jpgCartography is the study and practice of making Geography Map. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that we can model reality in ways that communicate spatial information effectively....
 requires exact and unchanging coordinates, cartographical poles (also cartographic poles) are fixed points on the Earth or another rotating body at the approximate location of the slightly varying geographical poles. These cartographical poles are the points at which the great circles of longitude
Longitude

Longitude , symbolized by the Greek character lambda , is the geographic coordinate most commonly used in cartography and global navigation for east-west measurement....
 intersect.

Geographical poles and cartographical poles should not be confused with magnetic pole
Magnetic pole

A magnetic pole may refer to:*One of the two ends of a magnet.**The poles of astronomical bodies, a special case of magnets, two special cases of which are the Geomagnetic poles:...
s, which can also exist on a planet or other body.

For the geographical and cartographical poles on Earth, see:
  • North Pole
    North Pole

    The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets the Earth's surface....
  • South Pole
    South Pole

    The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's rotation intersects the surface....


For geographical and cartographical poles on astronomical bodies other than Earth, see Poles of astronomical bodies
Poles of astronomical bodies

The poles of astronomical bodies are determined based on their axis of rotation in relation to the celestial poles of the celestial sphere....
.

Popular Culture

Imaginary East and West Poles are encountered in a Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh is a Walt Disney Company Media franchise, based on animated fictional characters who have been featured as part of the List of Disney characters....
 story, in which the character Christopher Robin says, "I expect there's an East Pole and a West Pole, though people don't like talking about them."

See also

  • Polar region
    Polar region

    Earth polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the geographical pole also known as Geographical zone. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica....
  • Antipodes
    Antipodes

    The antipodes refer to lands and peoples located on the opposite side of the world compared to the speaker. This has a general, linguistic meaning and a technical, geographical meaning....