How to adjust rows and columns, retaining cell sizes in arcmap?

Question

The Situation: I have a vector data map with all the countries in the World, including a unique landcode for every country. I need to convert it into a raster map, so I can eventually analyse (with Matlab) drought indicators for that country.

The Problem: The precipitation data I use has 720 columns and 360 rows. I want the raster map of world countries to be in the exact same amount of columns and rows. BUT the raster map also needs to have a cellsize of 0.5! Right now, when I use the vector to raster conversion tool, if I use cellsize = 0.5, the columns and rows become 720x287.

Question: How can I create a raster map of 720 columns and 360 rows, while setting cellsize at 0.5?

Thank you in advance!

Additional info: Using ArcMap 10.4.1 and Matlab R2015b

Raster is .TIFF

Vector is .shp

Answer 1

I solved the problem. In ArcMap, I imported the precipitation data (NetCDF). It was however flipped, but I could get it in the right orientation using the tools 'Flip' and 'Rotate'. Now this map had the right orientation and the right amount of columns and rows. Furthermore I just altered some of the default settings in environments: 1) I set the processing extent to the precipitation data. 2) I set the snap raster also to the precipitation data. 3) I set the cellsize of every output raster to 0.5. Finally, I converted the vector file of world countries to a ASCII file using the raster to ascii conversion tool. The ASCII file now has the same amount of rows and columns as the precipitation data!