Argentina has become the first country in Latin America to legalise same-sex marriage after the Senate voted in favour of the controversial bill.

After more than 15 hours of debate, Argentina's Senate voted 33 to 27 in favour of the law, which will also give same-sex couples the right to adopt and the right to social security.

The term "husband and wife" will now be replaced in Argentine law by the term "the marrying parties".

The controversial bill had divided the country with the president Cristina Kirchner and other leading social and political figures throwing their weight behind the law, while the Catholic Church and other religious groups strongly opposed it.

As the historic debate dragged on into the small hours of the morning, thousands of supporters and opponents held rival demonstrations outside the Congress building in the capital Buenos Aires.

Argentina is the first country in Latin America to give a green light to same-sex marriage nationwide.

It follows the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Iceland.