Every permanent magnet generates a magnetic field, just like any other magnet, which circulates around the magnet is a distinct pattern. The size of the magnetic field is related to the size of the magnet and its strength. The easiest way to view a magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet is to scatter iron filings around a bar magnet, which quickly orient themselves along the field lines.
Every permanent magnet has two poles, named north and south, though they could have just as easily been called A and B. Similar poles repel while opposite poles attract. It takes a lot of effort to hold repelling poles of a magnet together, while it takes effort to remove attracting poles. The most powerful magnets attract so hard that they can cause injuries by pinching skin between them.
For thousands of years, permanent magnets were the only magnets that humans had. The electromagnet was only invented in 1823. Before that, magnets were mostly novelties. Using an electromagnet, it is possible to induce a current in any ferromagnetic materials, such as an iron paperclip. The effect quickly fades, however.
