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(python2.1-tut.info)Module Search Path

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The Module Search Path
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When a module named `spam' is imported, the interpreter searches for a
file named `spam.py' in the current directory, and then in the list of
directories specified by the environment variable `PYTHONPATH'.  This
has the same syntax as the shell variable `PATH', i.e., a list of
directory names.  When `PYTHONPATH' is not set, or when the file is not
found there, the search continues in an installation-dependent default
path; on UNIX, this is usually `.:/usr/local/lib/python'.

Actually, modules are searched in the list of directories given by the
variable `sys.path' which is initialized from the directory containing
the input script (or the current directory), `PYTHONPATH' and the
installation-dependent default.  This allows Python programs that know
what they're doing to modify or replace the module search path.  See
the section on Standard Modules later.