Explanation:

- Option 1: Latitudes – Following a latitude means moving east-west. The shortest route on a globe is not usually along a latitude except at the equator.

- Option 2: Longitudes – Moving along longitudes is north-south. Again, not typically the shortest route between two distant points.

- Option 3: Rivers – Following rivers might be easier for travel but is rarely the shortest distance.

- Option 4: Direction of winds – Wind direction can help or hinder travel (like in sailing), but it does not determine the shortest distance between two places.

- The correct answer: The shortest route is along a great circle path, which is neither strictly latitude nor longitude, but it is never determined by wind direction or rivers.

The shortest route between two places on the globe is the great circle route, not the direction of winds.