The Earth is a magnet that can interact with other magnets in this way, so the north end of a compass magnet is drawn to align with the Earth's magnetic field. Because the Earth's magnetic North Pole attracts the "north" ends of other magnets, it is technically the "South Pole" of our planet's magnetic field.
If you get a compass and hold a magnet near it the compass will follow the magnetic attraction that the magnet carries, causing the magnet to essentially follow the magnet.
