France became the 14th country in the world to legislate for gay marriage on Tuesday, following months of bitter debate over the socially divisive issue.
Europe remains the stronghold of same-sex unions, with Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands all having relevant laws on the books.
In North America, Canada and nine U.S. states recognize gay marriage. Argentina and Uruguay and parts of Brazil and Mexico fly the flag for same-sex unions in Central and South America, while South Africa alone does so for Africa.
By John Power (
john.power@heraldcorp.com)