Figure 7. Some multicylinder engine arrangements.

Geography looks for patterns in the distribution of diverse phenomena, and it tries to explain their variation by examining a wide range of underlying environmental and socioeconomic factors. Many fundamental realities of modern civilization cannot be fully appreciated without the basic understanding of the geography of energy use. There is a very high degree of inequality in the use of energy resources throughout the word: this is true for aggregate use of energy, for every individual fuel or renewable energy flow, as well as for the consumption of electricity. These consumption disparities are inevitably accompanied by large differences in energy self-sufficiency and trade.

A country's dependence on energy imports, its size and climate, its stage of economic development, and the average quality of life of its inhabitants are the key variables determining the patterns of fuel and...