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Malay race facts for kids

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This page is about the race. For the ethnic group, see Malays. For other uses, see Malay (disambiguation).
Langues austronésiennes
Map of the area historically regarded as being inhabited by the Austronesian peoples.

The Malay race is a race that was first proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752–1840). Blumenbach described five races, and classified them by the colour of people's skin. The Malay race was classified as the brown race. Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races. Most agree that classifying races is more complicated than Blumenbach allowed for. The Malay race are considered the aborigines of the Malay Archipelago, determined by their archeological foundings dated as far as 1 AD within the Malay Archipelago.

The term Malay race was often used in the late 19th century and early 20th century to describe the Austronesian peoples.

Images for kids

  • New Physiognomy - or signs of character, as manifested through temperament and external forms, and especially in the "the human face divine. (1889) (14782056275)

    The New Physiognomy map (1889) printed by the Fowler & Wells Company depicting Johann Friedrich Blumenbach's five human races. The region inhabited by the "Malay race" is shown enclosed in dotted lines and corresponds roughly to the territories of the Austronesian peoples.

  • Blumenbach's five races

    Skulls representing Johann Friedrich Blumenbach's "five races" in De Generis Humani Varietate Nativa (1795). The Tahitian skull labelled "O-taheitae" represented what he called the "Malay race"

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