An information retrieval system is provided, by which necessary information can be easily and accurately obtained from among a large number of information items by using a communication terminal which is mounted to a movable object or is fixedly disposed. In the system, a communication terminal accesses a host server and sends the server the present position of the terminal so as to retrieve desired information stored in information servers connected to a network. The host server stores summary information, categories, and positional information on the information stored in the information servers, and the communication terminal identifies an information server according to the above information stored in the host server.