A navigation apparatus, comprising: a map information storing unit that is adapted to store pieces of map information about a plurality of map coverage areas respectively in any of a plurality of storage areas (52, 53) including a first storage area and a second storage area, and that is adapted to store management information of the map coverage areas related to the pieces of map information stored in the storage areas (52; 53); a map coverage area detecting unit that is adapted to detect a map coverage area containing a piece of map information currently in use out of the plurality of map coverage areas, wherein the first storage area is the storage area having stored therein the map coverage area containing the piece of map information currently in use; a storage area selecting unit adapted to select, as the second storage area, a storage area not having stored therein the piece of map information of the map coverage area detected by the map coverage area detecting unit, based on the management information; an update map information acquiring unit that is adapted to acquire pieces of update map information of the map coverage areas from a recording medium having recorded thereon the pieces of update map information; and an update control unit that is adapted to: exert control so as to initialize the second storage area, thereafter to acquire a piece of the acquired update map information corresponding to the map coverage area stored in the first storage area and to store the piece of update map information in the second storage area, thereafter to update the management information, thereafter to stop use of the piece of map information stored in the first storage area and to start use of the piece of update map information stored in the second storage area, thereafter further to initialize the first storage area, thereafter to acquire a piece of acquired update map information of a map coverage area other than the piece of update map information stored in the second storage area and to store the piece of update map information in the first storage area, and thereafter to update the management information. a map information storing unit that is adapted to store pieces of map information about a plurality of map coverage areas respectively in any of a plurality of storage areas (52, 53) including a first storage area and a second storage area, and that is adapted to store management information of the map coverage areas related to the pieces of map information stored in the storage areas (52; 53); a map coverage area detecting unit that is adapted to detect a map coverage area containing a piece of map information currently in use out of the plurality of map coverage areas, wherein the first storage area is the storage area having stored therein the map coverage area containing the piece of map information currently in use; a storage area selecting unit adapted to select, as the second storage area, a storage area not having stored therein the piece of map information of the map coverage area detected by the map coverage area detecting unit, based on the management information; an update map information acquiring unit that is adapted to acquire pieces of update map information of the map coverage areas from a recording medium having recorded thereon the pieces of update map information; and an update control unit that is adapted to: exert control so as to initialize the second storage area, thereafter to acquire a piece of the acquired update map information corresponding to the map coverage area stored in the first storage area and to store the piece of update map information in the second storage area, thereafter to update the management information, thereafter to stop use of the piece of map information stored in the first storage area and to start use of the piece of update map information stored in the second storage area, thereafter further to initialize the first storage area, thereafter to acquire a piece of acquired update map information of a map coverage area other than the piece of update map information stored in the second storage area and to store the piece of update map information in the first storage area, and thereafter to update the management information. exert control so as to initialize the second storage area, thereafter to acquire a piece of the acquired update map information corresponding to the map coverage area stored in the first storage area and to store the piece of update map information in the second storage area, thereafter to update the management information, thereafter to stop use of the piece of map information stored in the first storage area and to start use of the piece of update map information stored in the second storage area, thereafter further to initialize the first storage area, thereafter to acquire a piece of acquired update map information of a map coverage area other than the piece of update map information stored in the second storage area and to store the piece of update map information in the first storage area, and thereafter to update the management information.