town, southwestern Panama, on the coastal lowland of the Azuero Peninsula a few miles west of its port, Mensabé, on the Gulf of Panama. Founded as a gold-mining centre, in addition to its administrative functions, Las Tablas is a marketing centre for the sugarcane, corn (maize), rice, coffee, and horses raised in the region. A road leads north from Las Tablas to the Pan-American Highway. Pop. (2000) 7,980.