Where are the two highest latitudes located?

The Earth’s Extremes: Finding the Farthest North and South

Latitude: it’s more than just a word you vaguely remember from geography class. It’s the key to understanding where you are on this big blue marble! Measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds, latitude tells you how far north or south you are from the Equator. Now, imagine going as far north or south as you possibly can. Keep going, keep going… BAM! You’ve hit the highest latitudes: 90 degrees North and 90 degrees South. These are the legendary North and South Poles.

The Geographic North Pole: A Shifting Ice Cap

Let’s start up north. The Geographic North Pole, or Terrestrial North Pole if you want to get fancy, is basically where Earth’s axis of rotation pokes out in the Northern Hemisphere. Simple as that! It’s the northernmost point on Earth, sitting pretty at 90° North latitude. Picture this: you’re standing there, and every single direction you look is south. Trippy, right? Also, all those lines of longitude you see on maps? They all squish together at the North Pole, so longitude basically becomes meaningless there.

Here’s a fun fact: unlike the South Pole, which is on solid ground, the North Pole is smack-dab in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. I’m talking over 4,000 meters of water underneath you! Building a permanent base there? Not so easy. Instead, you’ve got constantly moving sea ice. The closest you’ll get to land is usually Kaffeklubben Island, way up north of Greenland – still a good 700 km away. Talk about remote!

The North Pole is a land of extremes, especially when it comes to sunlight. Imagine only seeing the sun rise once a year, and set once a year! That happens at the equinoxes in March and September. During the summer months, the sun’s always up, 24/7 daylight. Winter? Forget about it – total darkness. But surprisingly, it’s not as brutally cold as the South Pole. Because it’s in the middle of an ocean, the water actually keeps things a bit warmer. Relatively speaking, of course!

The Geographic South Pole: On Top of the World (Almost)

Now, let’s head south to the Geographic South Pole, or Terrestrial South Pole. Same deal as the North Pole, but on the bottom of the planet. It’s where Earth’s axis comes out to play in the Southern Hemisphere. Ninety degrees South latitude, and you can’t go any further. Just like up north, every direction is north from here, and longitude is a no-show.

But here’s the kicker: the South Pole is on land! Specifically, the continent of Antarctica. You’re standing on a high-altitude, icy plateau, about 2,835 meters above sea level. And underneath you? A whopping 2,700 meters of ice! The nearest open ocean is a good 1,300 km away. Talk about isolated! The actual Geographic South Pole is a fixed point, but because it’s on an ice sheet that’s constantly moving, they have to move the marker every year to keep it accurate. Can you imagine being on that job?

Just like the North Pole, the South Pole gets six months of daylight and six months of darkness. But hold on to your hats, because this place is COLD. The lowest temperature ever recorded on Earth? A bone-chilling -89.2 °C (-128.6 °F) at Russia’s Vostok Station. Brrr!

Magnetic Poles: A Whole Different Ballgame

Now, before you go thinking you’ve got it all figured out, let’s throw a wrench in the works: magnetic poles. These aren’t the same as the geographic poles we’ve been talking about. The geographic poles are based on Earth’s spin, while the magnetic poles are all about Earth’s magnetic field. And guess what? They move! They wander around the planet.

As of 2025, scientists predict the North Magnetic Pole to be way up at 85.762°N and 139.298°E, and the South Magnetic Pole around 63.851°S and 135.078°E. Back in 2020, the south magnetic pole was at 64.07°S, 135.88°E. This movement can mess with navigation systems and even affect how animals migrate. Crazy, right?

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it: the highest latitudes on Earth, 90° North and 90° South, are home to the Geographic North and South Poles. While they both offer crazy seasonal changes, they’re totally different places. One’s floating on an ocean, the other’s chilling on a continent. And don’t forget about those magnetic poles, always keeping things interesting! Understanding all this helps us understand our planet a little better. And that’s pretty cool, if you ask me.