I'm a writer based in London, England, and I've just published a book about my travels in Monaco and Europe's other smallest countries.

"Dots on the Map" tells the story of my travels in the Faroes, Liechtenstein, San Marino, the Vatican City, Monaco, Andorra and Gibraltar. I really enjoyed visiting Monaco – visiting the Oceanographic Museum, walking the Grand Prix circuit and playing at the tables in the Casino were particular highlights.

Other highlights included meeting abseiling sheep (in the Faroes), armies that clock off for lunch (San Marino), and killer attack monkeys (Gibraltar). Not to mention the continent’s last remaining feudal monarchies, puffins for dinner, and a disturbingly large number of stamp museums.

Why did I do it? I’d often wondered how countries with well under 100,000 inhabitants each could survive in an increasingly borderless, globalised world. And not only survive but prosper too, joining the UN and other international organisations, fielding football teams in the World Cup, and above all being very rich. This was my attempt to find out. The readers can judge whether I succeeded.

The book is available in paperback at www.amazon.fr for EUR 12.66, and numerous other online and offline booksellers.