Foreign trade routes

[Jeff1787]

The Civilopedia explains domestic trade routes in pretty good detail. There is some posts here that address it, also. However, I can't find much information about how trade routes to foreign cities work. Unless I am missing something, I am at a loss.

Can anyone shed some light on foreign trade routes? Can we control them? What is a good strategy, if we can control them? How do we establish them? Any information would be helpful.

 

[petey]

Trade routes are established automatically and the computer gives your cities whichever ones are the most beneficial. The city has to be connected to the other city by road, river or sea and foreign ones give much better income than domestic ones. They also help to spread your religion around the world.

 

[KMadCandy]

the only way i know to control them is to have open borders (that makes them happen, assuming you have a road or coast connection) or don't have open borders (then you can still trade tech and resources but don't have trade routes in your cities).