1. A navigation system for providing an operator of a vehicle with route guidance information, comprising: information storage means for storing road guidance data and identification data for identification of a distinctive object registered for an intersection or branch point; imaging means for obtaining an image of a road area ahead of the vehicle; image recognition means for recognizing the distinctive object registered for the intersection or branch point in the obtained image; road identification means for detecting relative direction of movement of said distinctive object in the image and, based on said detected relative direction of movement, for identifying a road travelled by the vehicle in exiting the intersection or branch point; and output means for outputting route guidance information to the operator, in the form of a visual display and/or a voice message, based on the identified road.