Faroe Islands, a self-governing archipelago part of Denmark, has rejected same-sex marriage.

Comprising of 18 rocky, volcanic islands between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean, it remains the only Nordic country to not have adopted same-sex unions in any form.

A majority of 26 out of total 33 members in the Faroe Islands parliament rejected the same-sex marriage proposal on Wednesday (16 March).

Denmark legalized same-sex marriage in 2012.

Progress in the Faroe Islands is notoriously slow, but not because of the public. In a 2013 poll, two thirds said they would support same-sex marriage.

This led to the first gay person elected to the Faroese parliament in 2015, Sonja Jógvansdóttir, who received the third most votes in the country.

An anti-discrimination law to protect gay people was only passed in 2007 after pop star Rasmus Rasmussen was severely beaten up by five men shortly after he came out. A similar law had passed in Denmark in 2004.