Iceland, which has an age of consent of 14 for all its citizens, has become the fourth country to introduce a partnership law which enables lesbian and gay couples to have a form of legalised marriage.
The Althing – the oldest parliament in the world – voted overwhelmingly in favour of the measure which had little public opposition.
As in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, lesbian and gay couples will have all the rights of their heterosexual counterparts except the right to adopt children, benefit from artificial insemination and have a church wedding ceremony.