Barack Obama has been elected as the first black president of the United Stated of America according to projected results, in a historic triumph that has seemingly overcome age-old racial barriers.

By 0400 GMT Democratic Senator Barack Obama was projected to have won enough states to guarantee victory over Republican rival John McCain.

One of the most expensive election campaigns in history has resulted in an extremely high turnout, and in some places it was even described as "unprecedented".

Mr Obama was projected to have seized Ohio, New Mexico and Iowa, which were all Republican wins in 2004. According to the BBC he is also projected to have won: Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Delaware, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Rhode Island.

Meanwhile Mr McCain was projected to have won: Kentucky, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, North Dakota, Wyoming, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Utah.

Rev Jesse Jackson was reduced to tears of joy as it became apparent that Mr Obama had pulled out to an insurmountable lead. He simply said, "America is changing for the better."