Here's why:
* Earth acts like a giant magnet: The Earth's core is made of molten iron, which creates electric currents that generate a magnetic field. This field extends out into space, forming a protective shield around our planet.
* Magnetic poles: The Earth's magnetic field has two poles, a North Magnetic Pole and a South Magnetic Pole. These poles are not exactly the same as the geographic North and South Poles.
* Compass alignment: A compass needle is a small magnet. It aligns itself with the Earth's magnetic field lines. The needle's "north" end is attracted to the Earth's magnetic south pole, which happens to be located near the geographic North Pole.
Therefore, a compass needle points towards the Earth's magnetic north pole, which is why we say it points north.
