south

South is one of the four cardinal directions, opposite to north and perpendicular to east and west. It denotes the direction toward the southern part of the Earth, including the region near the South Pole, and on a map oriented with north at the top is the downward direction.

Etymology: The word comes from Old English suð, from Proto-Germanic suþaz; cognates include Dutch zuiden and German Süden. The term is related to other Germanic languages and has cognates in several Indo-European languages for “south.”

Geography and usage: In geography and navigation, “south” is used to describe location relative to a reference point, as in “south of the river.” The phrase “the Global South” refers to parts of the world often associated with lower development indicators, though it is a socio-economic grouping rather than a strict geographic boundary. Locations in the southern hemisphere lie south of the equator.

Maps and navigation: Standard maps usually place north at the top, so south appears at the bottom. Travelers may distinguish true south from magnetic south, since a magnetic compass points toward the magnetic south, which can differ from true south due to local variation.

Astronomy and climate: In celestial terms, south points toward the south celestial pole. In the daytime sky, the sun appears toward the southern part of the sky in the northern hemisphere and toward the northern part in the southern hemisphere. The term also appears in cultural and regional names, such as the American South or South Asia, and in descriptors like southern climate zones.