| Aloba Arch | |
| Map: | Chad |
| Label: | Aloba Arch |
| Location: | Ennedi Plateau, Chad |
| Nearest Town: | Fada |
Aloba Arch is a natural arch located in Chad. Large natural arches are somewhat rare outside the southern and western regions of China and the Colorado Plateau of the southwest United States.[1] Chad's Ennedi Plateau, located within the Sahara Desert in the northeast part of the country near Libya and Sudan has a geology similar to the Colorado Plateau and has produced a number of natural arches and similar landforms, although only Aloba can claim to be on the top ten list of longest arches in the world.[1]
Aloba Arch's span is considered to be the 8th longest known natural arch, and the longest outside of China and Utah.[1] Due in part to its location as well as being only recently recognized for its size, estimates based on photography yield an approximate span of 250sigfig=3NaNsigfig=3.[2] Xianren Bridge (Fairy Bridge) in China has a span of 400sigfig=4NaNsigfig=4 which is the longest discovered and measured span to date.[3] Perhaps more striking than the span, however, is the sheer height of the arch. At 394sigfig=4NaNsigfig=4 tall, it towers over the more famous Rainbow Bridge and is one of the tallest known arches in the world.[4]