Question

why does a freely suspended magnet needle point in Geographic North and South direction

Answer 1

While a compass is a great tool for navigation, it doesn't always point exactly north. This is because the Earth's magnetic North Pole is not the same as "true north," or the Earth's geographic North Pole . The magnetic North Pole lies about 1,000 miles south of true north, in Canada.

Answer 2

The opposite poles of two magnets attract. Therefore, when the red end of a magnet or compass is pointing north, it is because it is being attracted in that direction by the south end of another magnet (often coloured blue) – this is the imaginary magnet inside the Earth