It is a difficult matter to classify mankind, for there is scarcely any one characteristic belonging exclusively to a single race, though climate and other influences have modified the structure of certain races to such an extent that they are easily recognized as differing from other races in distant localities. Scientists have offered many classifications, but none has yet appeared to be altogether satisfactory. The one most generally known is that made by Blumenbach, near the beginning of the nineteenth century. The chief basis of his classification was the color of the skin, the shape and size of the head and peculiarities of the features. Blumenbach recognized five distinct races, namely, the Caucasian race, the Mongolian race, the Malay race, the Negro race and the American, or Red, race. CAUCASIAN RACE. This term was first used by Blumenbach, who believed this to be the original race from which the others were derived. He gave it the epithet of Caucasian because he believed that in its highest physical perfection it was to be met with among the mountaineers of the Caucasus. In later classifications this race is usually divided into Aryan, or Indo-European, and Semitic. The Caucasian race controls all of Europe, Africa north of the Sudan, southern and western Asia, America and Australia. In color Caucasians are white, or light, and have straight or wavy hair and variable skull and features. Yet the diversities in the race are numerous, and very many types may be found between the light-haired, blue-eyed inhabitants of Scandinavia and the almost black tribes of the Great Desert. The Caucasian race has given to the world the three religions that teach there is but one God, namely, the Christian, which follows the Bible; the Jewish, which rejects the New Testament, and the Mohammedan, which has for its sacred book the Koran. Two branches of this race are recognized, the South Mediterranean and the North Mediterranean. The former branch is composed of two stocks, the Hamitic, of which the Libyans and Egyptians are types, and the Semitic, of which the Arabs, Abyssinians and Hebrews are types. In the North Mediterranean branch the Basques are considered a stock by themselves, as are also the peoples of the Caucasus. The great stock of this branch, however, is the Aryan, and in this the peoples are grouped under different heads, of which the leading are the Teutonic, including the Germans, English and Scandinavians; the Slavonic, including the Russians, Poles, Czechs and Bulgarians; the Indo-Iranic, including the Persians and Hindus; the Hellenic, including the Greeks and Latins, and the Celtic, of which the Highland Scotch and the Irish are types. Articles treating of the several peoples will be found in their proper places in the text. MONGOLIAN, OR YELLOW, RACE. The Mongolians have flat faces, short skulls, coarse hair, yellowish skin and small, black eyes, slanted downward toward the nose; they are usually under the average height. The Chinese, who include one-fourth of the people of the world, are the largest nation, but the Japanese have proved themselves by far the most progressive of the Mongolians. Many of the interior tribes of Asia are still densely ignorant and seem to have little capacity for acquiring knowledge. The Mongolian race is distributed over the greater part of Asia and the islands of the Northern Pacific. The more recent writers consider the Eskimo as Mongolian. Consult the color plate, Mongolian Race, accompanying this article; also the articles on leading peoples in their proper alphabetical positions in this work. MALAY, OR BROWN, RACE. This race inhabits the Malay Peninsula and the Asiatic Archipelago. In physical appearance, Malay peoples are under middle height; they are light brown in color and have black, straight hair, high cheek bones, black and slightly oblique eyes and little or no beard. Most of them are strong, fierce savages, treacherous and deceitful in disposition and bitterly opposed to encroachments from the civilized peoples. Many writers do not follow Blumenbach in making of the Malays a distinct human race, thinking them to be merely a variety of the Mongolian race. NEGRO, OR BLACK, RACE. This branch of the human family is composed of those people who have a brownish or black complexion, broad, flat nose, thick lips, woolly hair and long skulls. The true negroes are found in the Sudan, while south of them are the Bantu group, as well as the dwarfish Bushmen, the Hottentots and the dwarfs of the Kongo. The latter are called negroids and differ widely in languages and customs from the typical negroes. The black natives of Australia and Papua are sometimes classified as negroids and separated from the Malay race. As a rule, negroes differ from the whites as much in mental characteristics as in physical ones, though there are individual exceptions. The negroes are of a superstitious temperament, believing in witches, charms and evil spirits. In general, they are lively, excitable, passionate and fond of music and display. Unless taught by other races, no negro tribe has ever developed a civilization. Consult the accompanying color plate, Negro Race; also the articles on the chief negro tribes. At one time negroes were taken in large numbers from Africa, transported to other countries and sold as slaves. In consequence there are many negroes now living in the United States, in Europe and in other parts of the world. In the United States many of the negroes have, since their liberation as a result of the War of the Rebellion, acquired good educations and hold responsible positions (See NEGRO, EDUCATION OF THE).