C source file contains declarations and function definitions (procedures). Every C program contains a main function, it serves the special purpose. The runtime environment calls the main function to begin program execution. In turn, the C source file will be the composition of multiple procedure definitions and execution will happen by calling these procedures. So, C is procedural language.
Procedural means specifying the steps the program must take to reach the desired state. A procedural programming language provides programmer a means to define precisely each step in the performance of a task and this is what C forces to do, declaring variables above all. Defining function prototypes first before using that, step-by-step instructions on how the task is to be done or call it a procedure. You can implement an algorithm step by step in procedural language, Without introducing the OOPS concept of classes and objects.I hope u got what I wanted to explain.
C is a Procedural Oriented Programming language because of its programming paradigm that is designed procedurally.
Explanation:
Procedural Oriented Programming language
A procedural-oriented programming language contains a small bunch of code blocks called procedures to solve a problem. These programming languages help debug because we can easily isolate the error-containing procedure.
C is procedure oriented language because large program is divided into modules. ... Because C programs follow a procedure of steps written in it, called functions. It follows a top-down approach i.e. much importance is given to flow of program rather than on data on which functions operate.