This paper provides a brief historical overview of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP), the basis for selecting the principal site for this experiment, the scientific objectives, and the strategic planning that has been brought to bear in preparing for the implementation of the project. It also provides a summary of the 25 papers published in this special issue, which collectively represent the launching point for research in the GEWEX's initiatives on continental-scale hydrometeorology. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996