![Aloba T15b 5831b Stefan Kroepelin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Aloba_T15b_5831b_Stefan_Kroepelin.JPG)
Aloba Arch is the name of a
natural arch
A natural arch, natural bridge, or (less commonly) rock arch is a natural landform where an arch has formed with an opening underneath. Natural arches commonly form where inland cliffs, coastal cliffs, fins or stacks are subject to erosion f ...
located in
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
. Large natural arches are somewhat rare outside the southern and western regions of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and the
Colorado Plateau
The Colorado Plateau, also known as the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic and desert region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. This province covers an area of ...
of the southwest
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
Chad's
Ennedi Plateau
The Ennedi Plateau is located in the northeast of Chad, in the regions of Ennedi-Ouest and Ennedi-Est. It is considered a part of the group of mountains known as the Ennedi Massif found in Chad, which is one of the nine countries that make up t ...
, located within the
Sahara Desert
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, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
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in the northeast part of the country near
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
and
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
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.
[
Aloba Arch's span is considered to be the 8th longest known natural arch, and the longest outside of China and Utah.][ 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 . ]Xianren Bridge
Xianren Bridge () is a natural arch created by flowing water that has the world's longest recorded span. Carved of limestone karst, the formation bridges Buliu River in the northern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Because of its remo ...
(Fairy Bridge) in China has a span of which is the longest discovered and measured span to date. Perhaps more striking than the span, however, is the sheer height of the arch. At tall, it towers over the more famous Rainbow Bridge and is one of the tallest known arches in the world.
References
External links
Aloba Arch
{{Coord, 16, 44, 30.32, N, 22, 14, 21.98, E, display=title
Natural arches
Landforms of Chad
Rock formations of Africa