Until recently, it was virtually impossible to obtain historical, time-series data over large areas owing to the lack of earth-observing systems. A number of such systems from many countries now provide data covering almost all parts of the earth on a regular basis. This publication includes examples of the satellite-derived & other data sets available through the North American node of UNEP/GRID. It covers recently developed, global & continental topographic, drainage basin, land cover & population data for analyzing environment & developmental interactions.