The establishment of Phnom Penh as the capital of Cambodia is, historically speaking, a relatively recent event. Yet the area has been central to Cambodia’s economy and politics for almost 600 years. After King Ponhea Yat abandoned Angkor in 1422, he founded his new capital and five wats at Phnom Penh. The choice of this area at the confluence of two great rivers may have reflected a shift from an agrarian to a trade oriented economy. Later kings moved the capital several times and the city did not become the permanent seat of government until 1866. At the time, Phnom Penh was little more than a few huts lining the river. Beginning with earnest in the 1880s, French city planners built canals to control the wetlands, and constructed roads, buildings and a port. By the 1920s, Phnom Penh was reputed to be the most beautiful city in Indochina. Growth continued through the 1960s but the American/Vietnamese conflict slowed its progress. In the early 70s war reached Phnom Penh and the city was laid to siege. On April 17, 1975, Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge and was completely evacuated. People began to return in 1979 and have been rebuilding ever since.