Why do many people in Southern Europe consider themselves Caucasian when in fact ...

2+2 = 4

This is an addition equation. 2 plus 2 equals 4, meaning two plus two is the same as four.

I will reverse the question and ask:Why don't Northern Europeans look like the rest of the world? Who poured bleach on them? Because, you know, most of the world (and according to your question, a lot of Europe too) is dark and swarthy.The northern Europeans are mutants. Homo sapiens originated in Africa and they were certainly dark skinned (not being dark skinned meant skin cancer and death). As they moved north into the Middle East and Europe, humans ended up in places where the sun wasn't that dangerous, so their bodies stopped producing so much melanin (the stuff that makes you dark and swarthy). It was a waste of energy. Still they weren't white yet.That happened even later when they finally ended up in Northern Europe and had to survive through the Ice Age. That was trouble. Melatonin blocked the sun and their bodies produced no vitamin D. So they mutated even further and finally they were white. By the way, there is a nasty rumor going around that they got the white skin from neanderthals.P.S. My excuses to all Northern Europeans, and all fair skinned Central and Southern Europeans (including my mom and son) and Middle Easterners out there for any perceived abuse against them. This sort of distinction based on skin color just lights my fuse.