Sentence Correction

Do both terms serve the same meaning?

The country has expanded its influence on the natives for the past 20 years.
The country has been been expanding its influence on the natives for the past 20 years.

Both sentences seemed to indicate that the action occurred in the past and it is still occurring in the present.

Need input...

The first sentence indicates that the country has already expanded its influence on the natives, and it's unclear whether that influence will continue to expand.

The second sentence indicates that the country's influence has been expanding over the past twenty years and this expansion is ongoing.

Do the following phrases share the same intended meaning then?

The country expanded its influence etc...
The country has expanded its influence etc...