“Regarding “white,” white used to refer to Northern Europeans, and distinguished some Caucasians from other Caucasians.”
I think the definition of “white” can also be subjective; that is dependent on a viewpoint regarding nationality. For example, I know people whose parents and ancestors (as far as can be traced) were only Eurasians. They look “white” in skin complexion like, say, Eastern Europeans, but aren’t from Eastern Europe.
In genetically mixed countries like Iran, those from upper-middle class families traditionally (over the centuries) kept their kids out of the sun so that they didn’t ‘tan’ or the gradual change in skin pigmentation, which tanning due to exposure to the sun is, could be minimized.
“Also, about the number of races, there are maybe five: (1) Negroid, (2) Mongoloid and (3) Caucasian, (4) the indigenous people of Australia and (5) the indigenous people of the Americas. I realize some people fold #4 into #1, and fold #5 into #2, but computers will sort human genomes into these five major groups. Within the Caucasian group, there will be the obvious break-downs.”
Actually, “indigenous inhabitants” of a country (minus genetic mix) have developed protections against a climate of a country. Or broadly speaking adapted.
Australia, for example, is not continent which naturally and climate wise would be welcoming to (fair-skin) Europeans. The sun is very harsh, hence many cases of Melanoma, especially among Europeans.
But, indigenous Australians (Aborigines) are definitely not “Negroids” of Africa. Got to look at facial features and naturally straight-hair too. I believe they’re Polynesians, with darker skin.
As for Japan, a Japanese friend from Osaka told me that Japanese are a hybrid of Chinese & Koreans - linguistically and racially.
There is no doubt about how beautiful are Persian women.
The people who constitute the Caucasian race all have their origins in Central Asia. (Ditto the people who constitute Mongoloid race.) Differences among the Caucasians do not seem strongly correlated with their location by latitude from India to Europe. In southern India, there seems to be considerable mixing with descendants of the the first great migration out of Africa (which made its way eventually to Australia). Caste or caste-like systems appear to have distinguished some from others even in the same location. You can see this among, e.g., Ghanians, as well as among Indo-Iranians. Some Ghanians look (pure) African, others look mixed-race (like most African Americans).
The people of northern Europe are particularly white, more so than other humans at about the same longitude. We also have particularly light-colored eyes and hair. Among most other humans, our colorings are juvenile. Yet, we can suppose, these attributes enabled us to better adapt to the conditions of northern Europe. Adaptation and cross-breeding with other migrations could explain the uniqueness of the original peoples of Australia and the Americas.
This is all quite fascinating. But, nowadays, what does any of it mean? We are all human beings and we are no longer bound by survival of the fittest by our genetic code. We are increasingly in control of local climates, can fashion artificial shelter and clothing; and, furthermore, can access foods from far away places. Old taboos about marrying within your kind no longer make any sense. Black or yellow or olive-colored people can do as well in Norway, as white people. For Norwegian to mean something today is cultural and not genetic.
Aborigines and people from Papua new guinea are surprising Caucasians. As are Drabidians