Final answer:
The shape of Earth's magnetic field is approximately that of a dipole, similar to a bar magnet, with a magnetic south pole near the geographic North Pole and a north magnetic pole near the geographic South Pole. The field is generated by the motion of liquid metal in the Earth's core.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Earth's magnetic field is similar to that of a bar magnet with two poles, making it approximately a dipole in shape. As the liquid metal in the Earth's core moves, it generates a magnetic field that aligns roughly with the planet's rotational poles. Hence, the Earth has a north magnetic pole and a south magnetic pole, analogous to the poles found on a standard bar magnet. However, because of historical naming conventions, the magnetic pole near the geographic North Pole is actually the south pole of Earth's magnetic field, which means that a compass needle's north pole is attracted towards it.
It's important to note that the Earth's magnetic field is not a static feature; both the location and the orientation of the magnetic poles can shift over time, though this happens on a geological timescale.