Vu-Dong Pham, Farina de Waard, Fabian Thiel, Bernd Bobertz, Christina Hellmann, Duc-Viet Nguyen, Felix Beer, M. Arasumani, Marcel Schwieder, Jörg Hartleib, David Frantz, Sebastian van der Linden

• We present detailed annual land cover maps for the Baltic Sea region, spanning more than two decades (2000–2022). The maps provide information on eighteen land cover (LC) classes, including eight general LC types, eight major crop types and grassland, and two peat bog-related classes. Our maps represent the first homogenized annual dataset for the region and address gaps in current land use and land cover products, such as a lack of detail on crop sequences and peat bog exploitation. To create the maps, we used annual multi-temporal remote sensing data combined with a data encoding structure and deep learning classification. We obtained the training data from publicly available open datasets. The maps were validated using independent field survey data from the Land Use/Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) and expert annotations from high-resolution imagery. The quantitative and qualitative results of the maps provide a reliable data source for monitoring agricultural transformations, peat bog exploitation, and restoration activities in the Baltic Sea region and its surrounding countries.