import os
import sys

gisbase = os.environ['GISBASE'] = "/your/path/to/grass/dist.i686-pc-linux-gnu"

gisdbase = "/your/path/to/grassdata"
location = "nc_spm_08"
mapset   = "PERMANENT"

sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.environ['GISBASE'], "etc", "python"))
import grass.script as grass
import grass.script.setup as gsetup

gsetup.init(gisbase,
            gisdbase, location, mapset)

print grass.gisenv()

grass.message('Raster maps:')
for rast in grass.list_strings(type = 'rast'):
    print rast

import grass.lib.gis as gis

print gis.G_location_path()