au cas ian ▁race . ▁People ▁of ▁the ▁Nord ic ▁type ▁are ▁mostly ▁found ▁in ▁North western ▁Europe ▁and ▁Northern ▁Europe , ▁particularly ▁among ▁populations ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁surrounding ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Sea , ▁such ▁as ▁Bal ts , ▁German ic ▁pe op les , ▁Balt ic ▁Fin ns ▁and ▁certain ▁Cel ts ▁and ▁S lav s . ▁The ▁physical ▁tra its ▁of ▁the ▁Nord ics ▁were ▁described ▁as ▁light ▁eyes , ▁light ▁skin , ▁tall ▁stat ure ▁and ▁a ▁dol ich oce phal ic ▁sk ull . ▁The ▁psych ological ▁tra its ▁of ▁Nord ics ▁were ▁described ▁as ▁truth ful , ▁equ itable , ▁compet itive , ▁na ive , ▁reserved ▁and ▁individual istic . ▁Other ▁supposed ▁sub - ra ces ▁were ▁the ▁Al pine ▁race , ▁Din ar ic ▁race , ▁Iran id ▁race , ▁East ▁Balt ic ▁race , ▁and ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁race . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁belief s ▁that ▁the ▁Nord ic ▁race ▁constit uted ▁the ▁superior ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁C au cas ian ▁race ▁gave ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁ide ology ▁of ▁Nord ic ism . ▁Though ▁this ▁ide ology ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁dis cred ited , ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁a ▁Nord ic ▁sub - race ▁remains ▁in ▁use ▁among ▁physical ▁anth rop olog ists . ▁ ▁Background ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁Russian - born ▁French ▁anth rop ologist ▁Joseph ▁Den iker ▁that ▁initially ▁proposed ▁" n ord ique " ▁( mean ing ▁simply ▁" nor thern ") ▁as ▁an ▁" eth