inception children's laureate
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world ' s oceans with a total area of about . It covers approximately ___MASK72___ percent of the Earth ' s surface and about ___MASK18___ percent of its water surface area . It separates the " Old World " from the " New World ". Edward James " Ted " Hughes ( ___MASK67___ August 1930  28 October ___MASK74___ ) was an English poet and children ' s writer . Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation , and one of the twentieth century ' s greatest writers . He served as Poet Laureate from 1984 until his death . The Kingdom of Great Britain , officially Great Britain , was a sovereign state in western Europe from ___MASK88___ to 31 December ___MASK27___ . The state came into being following the Treaty of Union in 1706 , ratified by the Acts of Union 1707 , which united the kingdoms of England and Scotland to form a single kingdom encompassing the whole island of Great Britain and its outlying islands . It did not include Ireland , which remained a separate realm . The unitary state was governed by a single parliament and government that was based in Westminster . The former kingdoms had been in personal union since James VI , King of Scots , became King of England and King of Ireland in 1603 following the death of Queen Elizabeth I , bringing about a " Union of the Crowns ". Also after the accession of George I to the throne of Great Britain in 1714 , the kingdom was in a personal union with the Electorate of Hanover . The European Union ( EU ) is a political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe . It has an area of , and an estimated population of over 510 million . The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states . EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people , goods , services , and capital within the internal market , enact legislation in justice and home affairs , and maintain common policies on trade , agriculture , fisheries , and regional development . Within the Schengen Area , passport controls have been abolished . A monetary union was established in ___MASK81___ and came into full force in 2002 , and is composed of 19 EU member states which use the euro currency . The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK ) or Britain , is a sovereign country in western Europe . Lying off the north - western coast of the European mainland , it includes the island of Great Britain ( the name of which is also loosely applied to the whole country ), the north - eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign statethe Republic of Ireland . Apart from this land border , the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to its east , the English Channel to its south and the Celtic Sea to its south - south - west , giving it the 12th - longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland . With an area of , the UK is the 78th - largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th - largest in Europe . It is also the 21st - most populous country , with an estimated 65 . ___MASK63___ million inhabitants . Together , this makes it the fourth most densely populated country in the European Union . Children ' s Laureate is a position awarded in the United Kingdom once every two years to a `` writer or illustrator of children ' s books to celebrate outstanding achievement in their field . '' The post stemmed from a discussion between the ( now deceased ) Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and children ' s writer Michael Morpurgo . A panel of judges considers nominations from a range of organisations representing librarians , critics , writers and booksellers , including the International Board on Books for Young People . They also consider writers and illustrators nominated directly by children , who now vote online . The award is funded by several publishing industry and charity sector sponsors , including the Museums , Libraries and Archives Council . As of 2013 its main sponsor is Waterstones , the UK ' s largest bookseller ; it was sponsored by Ottakar ' s before the two companies merged . A bursary of £ 15 , 000 is offered for the two - year term . The Children ' s Laureate receives a silver medal at the announcement ceremony , most recently held on 9 June 2015 for Chris Riddell . World War I ( WWI or WW1 ), also known as the First World War , or the Great War , was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July ___MASK11___ to ___MASK77___ November 1918 . More than 70 million military personnel , including 60 million Europeans , were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history . Over nine million combatants and seven million civilians died as a result of the war ( including the victims of a number of genocides ), a casualty rate exacerbated by the belligerents ' technological and industrial sophistication , and the tactical stalemate caused by gruelling trench warfare . It was one of the deadliest conflicts in history , and paved the way for major political changes , including revolutions in many of the nations involved . Ireland , also described as the Republic of Ireland ('), is a sovereign state in north - western Europe occupying about five - sixths of the island of Ireland . The capital and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern part of the island , and whose metropolitan area is home to around a third of the country ' s ___MASK80___ . 75 million inhabitants . The state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , Saint George ' s Channel to the south - east , and the Irish Sea to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature , the ', consists of a lower house , ', an upper house , ', and an elected President (') who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the ' ( Prime Minister , literally ' Chief ', a title not used in English ), who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President , and appoints other government ministers . Northern Ireland (; Ulster Scots : "") is a top - level constituent unit of the United Kingdom in the northeast of Ireland . It is variously described as a country , province , region , or " part " of the United Kingdom , amongst other terms . Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland . In ___MASK69___ , its population was ___MASK63___ , 810 , 863 , constituting about 30 % of the island ' s total population and about 3 % of the UK ' s population . Established by the Northern Ireland Act ___MASK74___ as part of the Good Friday Agreement , the Northern Ireland Assembly holds responsibility for a range of devolved policy matters , while other areas are reserved for the British government . Northern Ireland co - operates with the Republic of Ireland in some areas , and the Agreement granted the Republic the ability to " put forward views and proposals " with " determined efforts to resolve disagreements between the two governments ". Great Britain , also known as Britain , is a large island in the north Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe . With an area of , Great Britain is the largest European island and the ninth - largest in the world . In ___MASK69___ the island had a population of about 61 million people , making it the world ' s third - most populous island after Java in Indonesia and Honshu in Japan . The island of Ireland is situated to the west of it , and together these islands , along with over ___MASK63___ , 000 smaller surrounding islands , comprise the British Isles archipelago . Michael Morpurgo , OBE , FRSL , FKC , DL ( born ___MASK20___ October 1943 ) is an English book author , poet , playwright , and librettist who is known best for children ' s novels such as " War Horse " ( 1982 ). His work is noted for its " magical storytelling ", for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival , for characters ' relationships with nature , and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or World War I . Morpurgo became the third British Children ' s Laureate , from 2003 to 2005 . A poet laureate ( plural : poets laureate ) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution , who is often expected to compose poems for special events and occasions . The Italians Albertino Mussato and Francesco Petrarca were the first to be crowned poets laureate after the classical age , respectively in ___MASK45___ and ___MASK13___ . In Britain , the term dates from the appointment of Bernard André by Henry VII of England . In modern times , the title may also be conferred by an organization such as the Poetry Foundation , which has a designated Children ' s Poet Laureate . Other examples are the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate , which is designated by a " Presenting Partners " group from within the community ; the Minnesota Poet Laureate chosen by the League of Minnesota Poets ( est . 1934 ); the Northampton Poet Laureate chosen by the Northampton Arts Council , and the Martha ' s Vineyard Poet Laureate chosen by ten judges representing the Martha ' s Vineyard Poetry Society .